Rick Jackson Defeats Burt Jones With Over $100 Million in Georgia

Billionaire Rick Jackson spent over $100 million, mostly self-funded, to defeat Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the Georgia Republican gubernatorial runoff on June 16. The victory came after Jackson entered the race late in February and blanketed the airwaves. It leaves the GOP nominee for governor facing a general election against the Democratic winner while testing the reach of Trump endorsements in a state where Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited.

Jackson Overcomes Top Rivals Through Heavy Self-Funding

Jackson topped the field that included Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Carr led external fundraising with roughly $4.9 million while Raffensperger reported $864,000 raised plus about $5 million self-funded. Jackson's total outlay exceeded the combined spending of the rest of the primary field and secured the nomination outright.

The runoff matched the two candidates who advanced from the May 19 primary. Jones carried three Trump endorsements yet could not match Jackson's television presence. Raffensperger, who rejected Trump's 2021 request to find 11,780 additional votes, finished third in earlier polling and did not reach the runoff. Carr's fundraising edge proved insufficient against Jackson's late surge.

Trump Backers Record Mixed Outcomes in Other States

Trump-endorsed Rep. Barry Moore won the Alabama Senate primary. In Oklahoma, Trump-backed Mike Mazzei advanced to the governor runoff. Georgia Republicans nominated state Rep. Tim Fleming for secretary of state over Vernon Jones, who stressed 2020 election fraud claims more aggressively than Fleming.

These results show endorsements delivered wins in some contests but failed to carry Jones in Georgia. Fleming's victory highlighted voter preference for a lower-profile candidate less tied to fraud narratives. The pattern leaves Trump allies with partial success heading into fall campaigns.

D.C. Debuts Ranked-Choice Voting Amid Delayed Counts

District of Columbia voters used ranked-choice voting for the first time in the June 16 primary. Results for mayor and delegate to Congress remained incomplete days later. Democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George led the mayoral primary count.

Trump stated he might intervene if George wins the general election. The new voting system produced slower tabulation than traditional methods. Other races on the D.C. ballot also awaited final rankings.

California Special Primary Advances Wahab

In the California special primary for the House seat formerly held by Rep. Eric Swalwell, progressive state Sen. Aisha Wahab advanced. The contest drew limited national attention compared with the Georgia and D.C. races.

Wahab's win positions her for the general election in a safely Democratic district. The outcome adds another progressive voice to the state's congressional delegation.

General election campaigns now begin in earnest. Georgia Republicans will select a nominee for lieutenant governor and other statewide offices in coming weeks while Democrats finalize their tickets across the contested states.