Another Trump enemy falls as Brad Raffensperger loses Georgia primary
Brad Raffensperger falls in Georgia primary as Trump influence persists
POLITICO Politics1 min read
In Georgia, Republican primary for governor goes to a runoff between Trump backers
TL;DR
The Republican primary for Georgia governor will go to a runoff between Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare executive Rick Jackson on June 16. Both candidates are aligned with President Trump, defeating opponents who opposed his 2020 election claims.
Key points
- Georgia Republican primary heads to runoff
- Lt. Gov. Burt Jones faces healthcare executive Rick Jackson
- Runoff scheduled for June 16
- Candidates aligned with Trump advanced
- Opponents had opposed Trump's 2020 election claims
Mentioned in this story
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Georgia
People wait in a line at a precinct before voting during a Georgia primary. Brynn Anderson/AP
Brynn Anderson/AP
The race for the Republican nomination for Georgia governor is headed to a runoff, according to a race called by the Associated Press.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones will face off against healthcare executive Rick Jackson on June 16. The result advanced two candidates who aligned closely with President Trump over two others, who had opposed his attempts to overturn Georgia's outcome in the 2020 presidential election.
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Jones, who has served as lieutenant governor since 2023, is endorsed by Trump, whom he has backed since early in Trump's first run for president. Federal prosecutors investigated Jones for allegedly serving as a fake elector in a scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, but declined to charge him in 2024.
While Jackson, owner of a healthcare company, is not endorsed by Trump, he has closely aligned himself with the president, and has compared himself to him as a fellow billionaire.
Jackson and Jones have spent millions of dollars on TV attack ads against each other since Jackson entered the race at the beginning of this year.
The primary tested the strength of Trump's endorsement and the MAGA base in Georgia. Trump lost Georgia by about 11,000 votes in 2020 and won the state in 2024.
Georgia, which has a Republican-controlled state government and two Democratic U.S. senators, will be a key state in November and could help decide the balance of parties in the Senate. Meanwhile the primary elections for governor serve as a temperature check for what each party's voters are prioritizing.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and state Attorney General Chris Carr also ran on the Republican ticket for governor, but did not win enough votes to advance to the runoff. Raffensperger and Carr took a less Trump-centric approach to their campaigns. Carr in campaign ads described himself as a "Brian Kemp Republican," after Georgia's Republican governor, who has at times been at odds with Trump.
Q&A
Who are the candidates in the Georgia Republican gubernatorial runoff?
The candidates are Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare executive Rick Jackson.
When is the runoff for the Georgia Republican primary for governor?
The runoff is scheduled for June 16.
What is the significance of Trump-backed candidates in the Georgia primary?
The runoff features candidates closely aligned with President Trump, highlighting his influence in the Republican party following the 2020 election.
