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Georgia primary analysis: The GOP’s Trump test is back

Politics

Tuesday’s results show the president’s influence is bigger than ever.

Burt Jones, a Republican candidate for governor, has focused much of his campaign on President Donald Trump’s endorsement. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Four years ago, Donald Trump’s Georgia vendetta flopped.

His hand-picked challengers were crushed by Gov. Brian Kemp and other Republican incumbents he deemed insufficiently loyal after the 2020 election. Tuesday’s vote showed how much has changed.

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Rick Jackson, a Republican candidate for governor, speaks to supporters at his election night party on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (Jason Getz/AJC)

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Collins speaks at his primary election watch party at The Carmichael House in Jackson on Tuesday. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

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Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee for governor, waves to supporters after winning the nomination on Tuesday. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

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Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.

Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.

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