A pair of Republicans endorsed by Donald Trump won their Senate primary runoffs Tuesday, but the president suffered a setback in a Republican gubernatorial contest for the second time this month.
In Georgia, Rep. Mike Collins claimed the GOP Senate nomination, two days after picking up Trump’s support, while the president’s pick in neighboring Alabama, Rep. Barry Moore, comfortably prevailed in his runoff in the deep-red state.
But Trump’s choice in Georgia’s open governor’s race, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, lost to wealthy health care executive Rick Jackson, who poured millions of his own money into the race to succeed retiring Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Jackson will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in November.
Jones’ defeat follows GOP Rep. Randy Feenstra’s gubernatorial primary loss in Iowa earlier this month just days after securing Trump’s support.
Collins was leading former football coach and first-time candidate Derek Dooley 56 percent to 44 percent just after 8:30 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday when The Associated Press called the race. He will next take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in a high-stakes November contest that could determine which party controls the Senate.
