Georgia Republican Primaries: Two key races head to runoffs

The Republican primaries in Georgia concluded with their two key races headed to a runoff. In the gubernatorial election, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and businessman Rick Jackson advanced to the runoff, while in the Senate race, Congressman Mike Collins and former coach Derek Dooley advanced.

In Georgia, if no candidate exceeds 50% of the vote, the two top vote-getters advance to a head-to-head runoff. Therefore, the gubernatorial and Senate primaries will be held on June 16.

Gubernatorial primaries: Trump's candidate and a health care businessman advance to runoffs

In the Republican gubernatorial primary, eight Republican candidates ran to succeed Brian Kemp, the popular governor of Georgia.

With 80% of the votes counted, first place went to Burt Jones, the state's lieutenant governor and the candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump, who got 38%. Second place went to Rick Jackson of the health care industry, who virtually bankrolled his campaign, and drew 34%. Both spent the final weeks of campaigning launching crusading attacks.

Trailing behind were Brad Raffensperger, local secretary of state and a longtime Trump rival, who got 15% and Chris Carr, state attorney general, who reaped 12%.

Burt Jones was a state senator from 2013 to 2023 and became the first Georgia state legislator to endorse Trump's 2016 presidential bid officially.

Before entering politics, Jones was a successful collegiate athlete. He even served as co-captain of the Georgia Bulldogs football team.

In 2022, he was elected as the state's vice governor and has since worked in tandem with Governor Kemp to advance his agenda in the General Assembly.

His platform features proposals such as reducing the state income tax, expanding educational freedom, protecting women's sports and supporting the president's agenda.

Trump endorsed Jones in August 2025. "He is a WARRIOR, a successful Businessman, former SEC Championship winning Georgia Bulldogs football player (Known for his toughness!), and now, as Lieutenant Governor, Burt has proven he has the Courage and Wisdom to deliver strong results for the incredible people of his wonderful State and Nation," he said on Truth Social.

While Jones was the early favorite to take the nomination, Jackson's surprise entry into the race completely changed the dynamics of the primary. The businessman invested millions of dollars in digital and television ads, which quickly increased his visibility among voters.

Jackson, founder of Jackson Healthcare, drew on his humble origins and business success to empathize with voters. As for his agenda, he promised to make Georgia the strongest state when it comes to deporting illegal immigrants, half the state income tax within four years, cut wasteful government spending and freeze tuition, room and board rates at public universities and technical colleges.

The 72-year-old businessman is running as an "outsider" who cannot be "bought" by "special interests."

The winner of the runoff will face Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, who avoided a runoff by securing 56% of the vote. Finishing second was Jason Esteves, a former state legislator.

Collins or Dooley, who will face Jon Ossoff?

The other key race in Georgia was to define which Republican will face Jon Ossoff in the Senate election in November. Along with Michigan and New Hampshire, Republicans see Georgia as one of their best chances to win a Senate seat.

In this election, Mike Collins and Derek Dooley advanced to the runoff.

While Trump and Kemp tried to unite their endorsements behind a single candidate, they failed to reach an agreement. The state governor then backed Dooley, a lawyer and football coach, while the president opted not to endorse any candidate in the primary. Kemp has argued that Dooley, an "outsider," would be the candidate most likely to beat Ossoff in November.

With 90% of the votes counted, the top spot in the Republican primary went to Mike Collins, a congressman and transportation businessman, who garnered 40% of the vote. In second place was Dooley, with 30%. Third place went to Congressman Buddy Carter, with 25%.

Collins prevailed mostly in rural counties, while Dooley did the same in urban and suburban areas. Carter concentrated most of his support in the counties that comprise his district.

Collins, a truck driver and son of former Congressman Mac Collins, ran as a fighter championing the MAGA agenda, while Dooley also appealed to Kemp's voter base, with whom he campaigned on several occasions.

This is expected to be one of the most expensive elections of the cycle. Some analysts anticipate that it could even break the record for the most expensive Senate election in history.

Supreme Court: Conservatives Retain Their Seats

In addition to the partisan primaries, Georgia also held two State Supreme Court elections, with both conservative justices successfully retaining their seats. Charles Bethel defeated Miracle Rankin by a margin of 51% to 49%, while Sarah Warren prevailed over Jen Jordan, 59% to 41%.