US Primaries: Trump-Backed Candidates See Mixed Results in Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama, and California

Primaries held on June 16 in Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama, and California delivered mixed results for candidates backed by former President Donald Trump, setting the stage for the November midterm elections—widely seen as a referendum on Trump’s second term.

Georgia: Senate win, Governor loss

In Georgia, the Senate race saw a victory for Rep. Mike Collins, whom Trump endorsed just days before the vote. Collins won the Republican primary, defeating former college football coach Derek Dooley, who was backed by Gov. Brian Kemp.

Collins will face Democratic incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff in November, a campaign considered one of the most competitive in the country.

However, in the Georgia gubernatorial primary, Trump-endorsed candidate Burt Jones—backed by the former president for over a year—lost to billionaire Rick Jackson. Despite Trump reiterating his support last week, Jones could not secure victory. Jackson spent at least $100 million of his own money on the campaign, compared to Jones’s roughly $30 million.

Jackson will face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat, in November in this key battleground state.

Alabama: Victory for a Trump ally

Alabama brought good news for Trump as Rep. Barry Moore—who pledged to be a ‘fighter for President Trump’s America First agenda’—defeated former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in the Republican Senate primary.

Alabama is a Republican stronghold, and the winner of the GOP primary is expected to prevail in November. Moore will face attorney Everett Wess, who won the Democratic primary against small business owner Dakarai Larriett.

Oklahoma: Senate win, gubernatorial runoff

In Oklahoma, former state Sen. Mike Mazzei—endorsed by Trump in early June—secured a spot in the August 25 Republican gubernatorial runoff, nearly tied with Attorney General Gentner Drummond.

In the Senate race, Rep. Kevin Hern—representing Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District and backed by Trump—led four other Republican candidates with 63.7% of the vote. Democratic results remain pending.

Oklahoma voters also rejected controversial Proposition 832, which would have raised the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour. More than 56% voted against it.

California: State assemblywoman advances to runoff

In California, state Assemblywoman Aisha Wahab—who centered her campaign on reducing housing costs—advanced to a runoff in the special election to replace Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned and withdrew from the gubernatorial race after a woman accused him of sexual assault.

Wahab was one of 11 candidates on the ballot, and the second runoff spot remains undetermined ahead of the August 18 election to fill Swalwell’s term until January. Wahab is also running in November to succeed Swalwell for a full two-year term.

Track record of Trump-backed candidates

This year’s primaries have recorded numerous victories for Trump-endorsed Republicans. Of the 11 candidates Trump backed in gubernatorial races, seven have advanced to the general election, two to runoffs, and two have lost.

Before Burt Jones’s loss in Georgia, Randy Feenstra—backed by Trump—failed to secure the Republican nomination in Iowa. Mike Mazzei in Oklahoma and Pamela Evette in South Carolina advanced to runoffs but need another win to secure the nomination.

Earlier, many candidates won with Trump’s endorsement: Joe Lombardo in Nevada, Steve Hilton in California, Stacy Garrity in Pennsylvania, Brad Little in Idaho, Tommy Tuberville in Alabama, Jim Pillen in Nebraska, Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio, and Greg Abbott in Texas all advanced to the general election.