Getting tired of the political mailers and TV ads yet? Well hold onto your hats, because nearly every major primary in Georgia is headed to a June 16th runoff following yesterday’s election day that saw few candidates able to nab the 50%+1 of the vote required to win outright. You can see the full list of results and vote totals on the Secretary of State’s website.
Georgia Supreme Court
Two notable exceptions to the runoff rule were in a pair of State Supreme Court races; typically sleepy, nonpartisan affairs that got a jolt when Democrats Jen Jordan and Miracle Rankin launched dual campaigns against Justices Charlie Bethel and Sarah Hawkins Warren, respectively. Those contests suddenly became both highly partisan and highly controversial, featuring lawsuits and an investigation from the Judicial Qualifications Commission into campaign violations by the Democrats.
The races saw an interesting set of split results – Warren jumped out to a huge lead (and eventual win) over former legislator Jordan in her race, while in the other Bethel and Rankin were virtually tied for much of the evening. As this is written, it appears Bethel pulled off a win in his race as well, allowing Republicans to breathe a sigh of relief in keeping their Supreme Court seats. An incumbent Supreme Court Justice hasn’t lost in Georgia in over a century.
Governor
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and businessman-turned-political candidate Rick Jackson have been slugging it out ever since the latter made his shock entrance into the race in February. That bruising race is going to continue for another month into a runoff, as the pair of Republicans stood head and shoulders over an impressive field that included Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
This is a true heavyweight matchup – Jones boasts the full endorsement of President Donald Trump, while billionaire Jackson has already poured $83 million of his own money into his campaign. And it will be four more weeks until one of the two men has the chance to score a knockout.
On the other side of the ballot the question wasn’t whether former Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms would take first place – it was whether she would win outright. And win outright she did, in commanding fashion, boasting broad Democratic support that will not only allow her to skip a costly runoff, but display that she’ll be a formidable foe come November.
U.S. Senate
It will be U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and Brian Kemp-backed Derek Dooley who advance to the GOP runoff for U.S. Senate, as the latter rode a late surge past U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter to survive and advance – by the skin of his teeth. Dooley, a former football coach and political newcomer, has had Kemp by his side constantly during campaign season and will hope the popular governor has enough juice to edge him past Collins and over the goal line in June.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is one of the few candidates who gets to kick back and take it easy this summer, with no primary challengers and a massive, $30 million+ war chest that he’s keeping dry for what will be one of the most pivotal – and most expensive – Senate contests in the nation this fall.
Lt. Governor
One of the most hotly contested races Tuesday was the GOP primary for lieutenant governor, where some of the most prominent members of the state legislature were vying to succeed Burt Jones. It will be former state Sen. John F. Kennedy and state Sen. Greg Dolezal who move onto the runoff, emerging from a highly competitive field that featured multiple other lawmakers like state Sens. Blake Tillery and Steve Gooch and state Rep. David Clark. Their endorsements could be key as the race hits a four-week sprint to the finish.
On the Democrat side, state Sen. Josh McLaurin and former state Sen. Nabilah Islam will continue their heated primary rivalry in the runoff, with third place candidate Richard Wright splitting the vote enough for neither candidate to get past 50%.
Secretary of State
State Rep. Tim Fleming took first place in the Republican primary, advancing to the runoff along with Vernon Jones, a former legislator who swapped parties to join the GOP in 2021. Whoever wins between them will face the winner of the runoff between Penny Brown Reynolds and Dana Barrett from the Dems.
Attorney General
A pair of state Senators in Brian Strickland and Bill Cowsert faced off in the Republican primary, with Strickland winning by a sizable margin. He’ll face off with a fellow legislator in state Rep. Tanya Miller, who squashed the comeback bid of former Georgia Minority Leader Bob Trammell with a commanding victory in the Democratic primary.
1st Congressional District
Down on the Georgia coast, a late endorsement from President Donald Trump helped Republican Jim Kingston push across the 50% mark to win his primary outright. The son of former U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, who represented the district for years, will be a prohibitive favorite over whoever emerges from a crowded, and yet undecided, Democratic field.
9th Congressional District
It’s rare that an incumbent U.S. congressman sees a serious primary challenge in Georgia, but that’s exactly what Republican U.S. Rep. Andrew Clyde got from Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon. Or at least, that’s what pundits thought going into the race, until that incumbency advantage reared its head once again and Clyde easily dispatched his Republican rival, without any need for a runoff.
10th Congressional District
State Rep. Houston Gaines continued his political ascension by winning the Republican primary in the safely-red 10th District. Assuming he wins in November, he will become one of the youngest members of congress at just 31 years of age. He’ll be a heavy favorite over Democrat Pam Delancy.
11th Congressional District
U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk shockingly announced he wouldn’t be running for reelection relatively late into the election cycle this year, setting off a scramble between Republican candidates in the sprawling 11th District that runs from Marietta all the way up to north Georgia. Neurosurgeon John Cowan and former Loudermilk Chief of Staff Rob Adkerson will move on to the runoff, with former PSC Chair Tricia Pridemore finishing third. The winner there will be favored over Democrat Chris Harden.
13th Congressional District
The death of longtime U.S. Rep. David Scott opened up the Democratic primary in Atlanta’s left-leaning 13th District. State Rep. Jasmine Clark seized the opportunity to win the primary outright as five other candidates split the rest of the vote.
We’ll have more coverage of these races – and others, like the Public Service Commission primaries – later this week.
