Primary Results: Trump-Backed Candidates Win Big, Iowa's Feenstra Falls
President Donald Trump's endorsement remains a dominant force in Republican primaries, with Trump-backed candidates securing major Senate nominations in Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma on Tuesday. However, conservative voters also delivered reality checks in key governor races, rejecting establishment spending in Georgia and delivering a surprise loss for Iowa's own Randy Feenstra.
How did Trump-endorsed candidates fare overall?
Tuesday's results largely reinforced the strength of the Trump endorsement, though the night was not without notable setbacks. Of the 11 candidates President Trump backed in gubernatorial races, seven have advanced to the general election, two moved on to run-offs, and two were defeated.
The defeats came from Georgia's Burt Jones and Iowa's Randy Feenstra. Before those losses, Trump's endorsement powered a long list of conservatives to victory in governor races: Joe Lombardo in Nevada, Steve Hilton in California, Stacy Garrity in Pennsylvania, Brad Little in Idaho, Tommy Tuberville in Alabama, Jim Pillen in Nebraska, Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio, and Greg Abbott in Texas.
Meanwhile, Mike Mazzei in Oklahoma and Pamela Evette in South Carolina advanced from their primaries but must win upcoming run-offs to secure the nomination.
What were the key results in Georgia?
Georgia delivered a split decision for conservatives. In the Senate run-off, Mike Collins secured the Republican nomination just days after receiving President Trump's endorsement. Collins defeated Derek Dooley, a former college football coach backed by Republican Governor Brian Kemp. Collins will now face Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November, setting up one of the most competitive and closely watched midterm races in the country.
In the governor's race, however, Trump-endorsed Burt Jones lost the run-off to billionaire Rick Jackson. Jackson poured at least $100 million of his own money into the race, vastly outspending Jones, whose campaign totaled nearly $30 million. President Trump had endorsed Jones over a year ago and reiterated his support last week, praising Jones's