President Donald Trump-backed Bert Jones lost Georgia’s gubernatorial runoff to billionaire Rick Jackson, but candidates backed by the president secured Senate nominations in Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma in Tuesday’s primaries.
As the United States prepares for November’s midterm elections, voters also decided on party candidates for California’s state House of Representatives and Washington, D.C., mayoral primaries. Some see the midterm elections as a referendum on President Trump’s second term.
Here’s a look at who won the primaries, who lost, and how Trump-supporting candidates fared.
Who won in Georgia?
Georgia State received a lot of media attention for the battle between Jones and Jackson. Although Mr. Trump-backed Mr. Jones lost the gubernatorial race, voters in the state elected the U.S. president’s choice candidate in the Senate primary.
Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff election was won by Mike Collins, who was endorsed by President Trump just days before the vote.
Collins is currently scheduled to face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in what is being touted as one of the most competitive midterm elections in the country. Collins defeated former college football coach Derek Dooley, who was endorsed by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
In the gubernatorial runoff, Jones lost despite a year of support from President Trump. The president reiterated his support for Jones last week, praising his “courage and wisdom” in a social media post.
During the campaign, Mr. Jones spent a total of nearly $30 million, while Mr. Jackson spent at least $100 million out of his own pocket.
Mr. Jackson will face Democratic former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in another battleground state in November.
Who won the Alabama primary?
Alabama brought good news for Trump. He successfully endorsed Barry Moore, a three-term congressman who has promised to be a “warrior for President Trump’s ‘America First’ policy” if elected to the Senate.
Moore defeated Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL who calls himself a Washington outsider.
Alabama is a Republican stronghold, and the winner of the Republican primary is expected to win in November.
He will face attorney Everett Wess, who defeated small business owner Dakarai Lariet in the Democratic runoff.
Who won the Oklahoma primary?
Trump’s support was also tested in the Oklahoma Republican primary for governor.
The president considered it late and two weeks ago announced his support for former state Sen. Mike Mazzei, with no clear front-runner in the field.
The run-off election on August 25 confirmed Mr. Trump’s choice, resulting in a nearly even tie with Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
In the Senate race, Republican Kevin Hahn, who represents Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District, outperformed four other Republican candidates. Hahn was supported by President Trump and received 63.7% of the vote.
The results for the Democratic Party have not yet been announced.
Oklahoma voters also rejected the highly controversial State Question 832, which would have raised the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour. More than 56% of voters opposed it.
Who won in California?
California voters are seeking to replace Democrat Eric Swalwell, who resigned from the House and withdrew his candidacy for California governor after two women claimed he sexually assaulted him.
Democratic state Rep. Aisha Wahab has advanced to California’s special election to replace Rep. Swalwell. State Sen. Wahab, whose campaign message focused on lowering housing costs, will advance to an Aug. 18 runoff election to determine who will serve out the remainder of Swalwell’s term, which runs through January.
She is among 11 candidates on the ballot. It was too early to decide who would win the second slot in the Aug. 18 election.
Mr. Wahab is also participating in the November runoff election that will determine Mr. Swalwell’s successor for the full two-year term.
How are Trump-supporting candidates faring in the primaries?
In this year’s primaries, Republican candidates supported by Trump continue to win in the United States.
Trump’s support record in gubernatorial primaries has been good so far, but not without setbacks.
Of the 11 candidates he supported in the gubernatorial election, seven advanced to the general election, two advanced to the runoff, and two lost.
Before Mr. Jones lost the Georgia runoff, Mr. Trump-backed Randy Feenstra failed to win the Republican nomination in Iowa.
Mr. Mazzei of Oklahoma and Pamela Evett of South Carolina advanced from the primary, but will need to win another vote to secure their party’s nomination.
They were preceded by multiple candidates who won in Trump’s name. Joe Lombardo of Nevada, Steve Hilton of California, Stacey Garrity of Pennsylvania, Brad Little of Idaho, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, Jim Pillen of Nebraska, Vivek Ramaswamy of Ohio, and Greg Abbott of Texas all advanced to the general election.
