Georgia Republicans choose Collins for Senate and Jackson for governor, a mixed result for Trump

By — Bill Barrow, Associated Press Bill Barrow, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/georgia-republicans-choose-collins-for-senate-and-jackson-for-governor-a-mixed-result-for-trump Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Georgia Republicans choose Collins for Senate and Jackson for governor, a mixed result for Trump Politics Jun 17, 2026 4:59 PM EDT JACKSON, Ga. (AP) — Georgia Republicans delivered a split decision for Donald Trump in Tuesday runoffs, opting for the president's preferred U.S. Senate candidate but rejecting his choice for governor in favor of a billionaire first-time candidate who spent freely from his personal fortune to win the nomination. In the Senate race, Rep. Mike Collins, 58, topped former football coach Derek Dooley and advanced to face Sen. Jon Ossoff, the only Senate Democrat running for reelection in a state that Trump won two years ago. The outcome will help determine control of Capitol Hill for the final years of Trump's second presidency. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. For governor, healthcare tycoon Rick Jackson, 71, outpaced Lt. Gov. Burt Jones after spending about $100 million of his own money on the campaign. That investment ultimately outweighed Jones' backing from the president. Jackson will face Democratic nominee and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in November. Trump, who endorsed Jones nearly a year ago and Collins two days before the runoff, is poised to be a fault line in both general election contests. The president was notably absent in Republicans' remarks on Tuesday, however, a shift from other primary nights where candidates paid homage to their party's leader despite his sagging approval ratings. READ MORE: Live Results: Georgia midterm Republican primary runoff Collins, a second-term congressman, is a self-described "MAGA warrior" and echoes Trump's false claims that his 2020 election loss in Georgia was rigged. Yet when celebrating in his hometown, Collins thanked his wife, children, grandchildren, siblings, friends, supporters and staffers — but never the president. He even touted his bipartisanship and pitched himself as a sound conservative who can achieve progress by "building coalitions and finding common ground." And he promised to campaign in "every ZIP code and every community" of this closely divided state. Ossoff, first elected during the 2020 cycle, has made Trump a focal point, blasting him as a "national embarrassment" who is using the presidency to enrich himself and his family. The 39-year-old faces tremendous pressure to hold his seat as Democrats try to gain a net of four seats to claim a Senate majority. READ MORE: The price tag of overcoming a Trump endorsement, and other takeaways from Tuesday's primaries In the governor's race, Jackson spent months comparing himself — the tremendously wea