Another Trump enemy falls as Brad Raffensperger loses Georgia primary

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger became the latest enemy of President Donald Trump’s to lose a Republican primary on Tuesday.

Billionaire Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones advanced to a runoff election for the GOP nomination for Georgia governor — locking out Raffensperger, who rose to prominence defending Georgia’s 2020 election results but struggled to gain traction among his party’s increasingly MAGA base.

Raffensperger's defeat is another sign of Trump’s grip on the GOP, following the president’s wins ousting state Republican senators who clashed with him over redistricting in Indiana and Sen. Bill Cassidy’s loss in Louisiana on Saturday.

But the runoff also prolongs an already rancorous and expensive primary by several weeks. Jackson, a political newcomer who entered the race late but quickly rose in the polls, and Jones, who boasts Trump’s endorsement, are both courting the same MAGA voters.

The runoff will serve as a crucial test of the influence of Trump’s endorsement in the Republican party versus the power of Jackson’s seemingly endless cash.

Trump has repeatedly reaffirmed his support for Jones since Jackson entered the race, most recently during remarks at a February event in Rome, Georgia. The lieutenant governor spent the final few weeks of the campaign reminding voters of the president’s backing.

The spending, which is expected to balloon, has already been monstrous. Jackson has spent nearly $65 million of his own money, according to an AdImpact analysis. Jones has disbursed over $28 million over the course of the primary.

The pair’s dominance is a stark sign of just how much the Republican Party in Georgia has shifted right under Trump’s commandeering of the party. Along with Raffensperger, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr — another old-school, technocratic Republican who rejected Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election — also failed to break through during the race.