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Georgia runoff: Republican voters choose Trump-backed conservative to face Jon Ossoff
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Georgia’s Republican primary runoff winners are US Representative Mike Collins, who will challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, and billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson, who will run against Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms.
- Collins, a Trump-endorsed former trucking executive and “freedom caucus” conservative, has denied the legitimacy of the 2020 election and defended January 6 rioters, while his opponent Derek Dooley was backed by outgoing Governor Brian Kemp.
- The Republican gubernatorial primary between Rick Jackson and Trump-backed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones was marked by intense legal battles, including defamation lawsuits and challenges to Georgia election laws.
- Jones, a conservative with Trump’s support and previously involved in the 2020 election interference case, was targeted by Jackson’s campaign over alleged profiteering from state healthcare contracts, leading to mutual defamation suits.
- Despite Kemp’s late endorsement of Jones, Jackson’s substantial self-funded media campaign and recent court victories have significantly influenced the race, with over 300,000 Georgia voters participating early in the Republican runoff.
