The price tag of overcoming a Trump endorsement, and other takeaways from Tuesday's primaries

By — Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press Jonathan J. Cooper, Associated Press By — Jesse Bedayn, Associated Press Jesse Bedayn, Associated Press By — Simran Parwani, Associated Press Simran Parwani, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-price-tag-of-overcoming-a-trump-endorsement-and-other-takeaways-from-tuesdays-primaries Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The price tag of overcoming a Trump endorsement, and other takeaways from Tuesday's primaries Politics Jun 17, 2026 4:36 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — An endorsement from President Donald Trump is worth a lot in Republican primaries. But it's not foolproof, especially when there's a lot of money involved. Rick Jackson's campaign spent more than $100 million, largely out of his own pocket, to defeat Trump-endorsed Burt Jones in the Republican runoff for Georgia governor. It was another rare example of the president's choice falling short in a primary battle. Trump's efforts were more successful elsewhere. His candidate for U.S. Senate won a runoff in Alabama, and his pick for Oklahoma governor advanced to another runoff there. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Four states and the District of Columbia held primaries Tuesday. Among Democrats, the contests hinged on longstanding divides between progressives and moderates as the party tries to chart the best path forward to November. Here are some takeaways as votes come in from Alabama, California, the District of Columbia, Georgia and Oklahoma. Follow along with live results from the Associated Press: Alabama California District of Columbia Georgia Oklahoma Trump's endorsement can be overcome — for a price Nothing is certain in politics, but a "complete and total endorsement" from Trump is about the surest path possible to winning a Republican primary. READ MORE: Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Barry Moore battles ex-Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in GOP Senate runoff in Alabama Jackson found another path to the Republican nomination for Georgia governor, but it was pricy. The billionaire healthcare tycoon personally supplied most of the $100 million-plus that his campaign has spent to persuade Republican primary voters to overlook Trump's advice. Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones more than a year ago and reiterated his support last week, praising Jones' "Courage and Wisdom" in a social media post. Before Tuesday's runoff, Jackson came in second behind Jones in the May 19 primary, though nearly a third of voters backed other candidates. Jackson will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor, in November to lead one of the nation's preeminent battleground states. Meanwhile, Oklahoma's Republican primary for governor tested Trump's endorsement in a different way. There, the president weighed in late, throwing his support two weeks ago to former state Sen. Mike Mazze