Georgia’s Republican races for governor and US Senate head to June runoffs | Georgia
The Republican primary campaign for governor of Georgia will head to a runoff in June; lieutenant governor Burt Jones will face health care billionaire Rick Jackson, leaving out Brad Raffensperger, the Georgia secretary of state and longtime political foe of Donald Trump who is on track to finish a distant third.
The Republican race to challenge U.S. senator Jon Ossoff remains similarly unresolved, while former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic primary for governor outright.
Meanwhile, two Supreme Court justices in Georgia were re-elected, fending off Democratic-backed rivals former state senator Jen Jordan and personal injury attorney Miracle Rankin.
Judicial elections in Georgia are non-partisan and are decided based on primary election votes. There is no Democrat serving on Georgia’s supreme court because Republican turnout in primaries has often been lopsided. The court is currently considering the constitutionality of a six-week “heartbeat” abortion ban that has added subtext to the race. The race was heavily advertised and promoted online in ways historically unusual for a judicial race in Georgia.
The judicial race has at times overshadowed the race to replace outgoing Republican governor Brian Kemp. Polls conducted last month revealed that a highly competitive second round was expected in the Democratic Party and that Bottoms, supported by Joe Biden, finished the race in first place. But Bottoms secured the Democratic nomination by taking a large lead shortly after the polls closed, according to preliminary results from the Associated Press.
The Democratic primary was relatively tame compared to the dueling attack ads among Republicans. Backed by Trump, Jones and Jackson will continue the showdown that has consumed nearly all of the available ad inventory on Georgia television.
Jackson, a relatively unknown political newcomer in the state, nevertheless blew away the competition by pouring nearly $50 million of his own money into campaign advertising. Republican candidates spent more than $100 million combined, tracking figures show Advertising Effect.
Georgia, long a Republican stronghold, has emerged as a significant swing state in recent years. The state narrowly voted for Biden in 2020, with Democrats occupying both of the state’s U.S. Senate seats. The open race for governor is considered one of the most competitive in the country.
Senator Ossoff had no Democratic primary challenger and has more than $30 million heading into the November election. Mike Collins emerged as the top vote-getter to challenge Ossoff in a crowded Republican primary contest on Tuesday. He will face former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who is backed by Georgia’s governor, in the runoff on June 16.
