Trump picks split key primary results in Georgia and Oklahoma
Republican voters backed several Trump-endorsed Senate candidates, while Georgia’s Burt Jones lost a governor’s race despite the president’s support.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Donald Trump’s endorsements produced mixed results in a round of US primaries tied to November’s midterm elections, according to Al Jazeera and The Associated Press. His preferred Senate candidates won Republican nominations in Georgia, Alabama and Oklahoma, while his pick for Georgia governor lost a high-profile run-off.
Voters also chose candidates in California’s special congressional election and Washington, DC’s mayoral primary, Al Jazeera and AP reported. The contests offered another test of Trump’s influence over Republican voters during his second term.
Georgia splits on Trump-backed candidates
In Georgia, Republican Senate candidate Mike Collins won his run-off after Trump endorsed him days before voting, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Collins defeated Derek Dooley, a former college football coach backed by Republican Governor Brian Kemp.
Collins will face Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November in a race Al Jazeera and AP described as one of the country’s most competitive midterm contests. Georgia will also host a major governor’s race after billionaire Rick Jackson defeated Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones in the Republican run-off.
Jones had Trump’s endorsement for about a year, and the president renewed his support last week in a social media post praising Jones’s “Courage and Wisdom,” according to Al Jazeera and AP. Jackson spent at least $100m of his own money on the campaign, compared with nearly $30m in total spending by Jones, the outlets reported.
Jackson will run in November against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, according to Al Jazeera and AP.
Alabama Senate race goes to Moore
In Alabama, Trump-backed Barry Moore won the Republican Senate run-off, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Moore, a three-term congressman, defeated Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL who presented himself as a Washington outsider.
Al Jazeera and AP reported that Alabama is a Republican stronghold, making the GOP nominee the expected favorite in November. Moore will face lawyer Everett Wess, who defeated small business owner Dakarai Larriett in the Democratic run-off.
Oklahoma heads to governor run-off
Oklahoma’s Republican governor primary did not settle the nomination, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Former state Senator Mike Mazzei, endorsed by Trump two weeks before the election, advanced to an August 25 run-off after finishing nearly even with Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
In Oklahoma’s Senate race, Republican Representative Kevin Hern won with 63.7 percent of the vote, defeating four other Republican candidates, Al Jazeera and AP reported. Trump had endorsed Hern. Democratic results had not yet been called.
Oklahoma voters also rejected State Question 832, which would have raised the state minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour, according to Al Jazeera and AP. More than 56 percent of voters opposed the proposal.
California special election advances
In California, Democratic state Senator Aisha Wahab advanced in the special election to replace Representative Eric Swalwell, according to Al Jazeera and AP. Swalwell resigned from the House and ended his campaign for California governor after a woman alleged he had sexually assaulted her twice, the outlets reported.
Wahab, who campaigned on lowering housing costs, moved on to an August 18 run-off to fill the rest of Swalwell’s term through January, according to Al Jazeera and AP. The second candidate in that run-off had not yet been determined from the 11-person field. Wahab is also running in the November contest for a full two-year term.
Trump’s primary record
Al Jazeera and AP reported that Trump-backed Republican candidates have posted a series of primary wins this year, while suffering some losses in governor’s races. Of 11 candidates Trump endorsed for governor, seven advanced to the general election, two reached run-offs and two lost.
Before Jones’s defeat in Georgia, Trump-backed Randy Feenstra lost the Republican nomination in Iowa, according to Al Jazeera and AP. The outlets reported that Mazzei in Oklahoma and Pamela Evette in South Carolina advanced but still need another win to secure their nominations.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.