Georgia Republicans on Tuesday split their two top statewide nominations, handing President Trump's endorsed Senate candidate, Rep. Mike Collins, a runoff victory while rejecting his pick for governor, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, in favor of healthcare billionaire Rick Jackson.
The split outcome, which the Associated Press and Al Jazeera characterized as a mixed night for Trump, sets up two of November's most-watched races. Collins will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in a contest that could decide Senate control, while Jackson will face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the governor's race.
The Senate result
Collins, a two-term congressman and trucking-company owner, defeated former college football coach Derek Dooley with roughly 55 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results from Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office reported by Axios. Trump endorsed Collins on Sunday, days before the runoff, calling him a "true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR." Gov. Brian Kemp had backed Dooley.
Ossoff, 39, is the only Senate Democrat seeking re-election in a state Trump carried in 2024 and is widely viewed as the cycle's most endangered incumbent. He starts with a financial advantage: his campaign reported more than $80 million raised and $32 million on hand as of April 29, NBC News reported, against Collins' $4.9 million raised and $1.2 million on hand as of May 27. The two major Senate super PACs have already pledged a combined $64 million to the race.
The governor's race
Jackson, 71, defeated Jones 52.8 percent to 47.3 percent with 85 percent of ballots counted when the AP called the race at 9:45 p.m., the Washington Examiner reported. Jones had Trump's endorsement since August 2025 and a late nod from Kemp. Jackson, who grew up in Atlanta public housing before building Jackson Healthcare into a company with more than $3 billion in annual revenue, spent at least $100 million of his own money, making the contest the most expensive primary in state history.
The race produced two lawsuits and a defamation claim, CBS News reported. A federal judge temporarily blocked Jones' leadership committee, which had accumulated roughly $15.9 million, from raising or spending money while Jackson's constitutional challenge played out. Jackson separately sued Jones in Fulton County Superior Court over campaign social-media posts he called knowingly false.
"Tonight, we did more than win a runoff," Jackson told supporters. "Tonight we proved the people of Georgia are in charge." Trump congratulated Jackson on social media, writing that he "very successfully campaigned on being 'TRUMP,' and won," according to Al Jazeera.
The counterpoint
The Washington Examiner, a right-leaning outlet, framed Jones' defeat as an upset over the president's preferred candidate and a test of money against political capital. Trump allies counter that Jones lost on his own record and a lopsided spending gap rather than any weakening of the president's grip; Jones' own ad campaign accused Jackson of "trying to buy our vote." Center and left-leaning outlets read the night differently, noting that Trump's endorsement still carried the Senate runoff and that Jackson spent months explicitly comparing himself to the president before pulling ahead.
The next test of Trump's primary record comes in August, when his pick for governor of Oklahoma faces a Republican runoff. Georgia's general election is Nov. 3.