Primary elections underway in Georgia, Alabama, Washington DC, Oklahoma, and California today are putting President Donald Trump’s endorsement power to the test across multiple high-stakes races for the 2026 midterm elections.
The elections come as Trump’s influence remains central to Republican primary contests. In Georgia, voters are deciding Republican nominees for U.S. Senate and governor through runoff elections after no candidate won a majority in May voting.
In the Georgia Senate race, Trump endorsed Representative Mike Collins, a self-described “MAGA warrior,” over first-time candidate Derek Dooley, a former football coach, just days before the election. Collins finished with about 41 percent in May’s primary, while Dooley has distanced himself from Trump by stating he did not vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections.
For Georgia’s governor’s race, Trump and outgoing Governor Brian Kemp both back Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who received the most votes in May but failed to secure a majority. Jones faces billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who spent nearly $100 million of his own money on the campaign.
Alabama’s Republican Senate runoff also tests Trump’s endorsement, with the president backing three-term Representative Barry Moore against political newcomer Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL. Moore won 39 percent of the first-round vote compared with 26 percent for Hudson. The winner will face Democratic voters’ choice in a key general election race for the seat vacated by Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor.
Oklahoma features two open races drawing significant attention. Trump endorsed Representative Kevin Hern for the U.S. Senate seat previously held by Markwayne Mullin, who now leads the Department of Homeland Security. In the governor’s race, Trump backed former state Senator Mike Mazzei among nine Republican contenders competing to succeed term-limited Governor Kevin Stitt.
In California’s 14th Congressional District, voters are choosing candidates in a special primary to fill the seat vacated by Democratic Representative Eric Swalwell after his resignation in April following allegations of sexual assault, which he has denied. The top two vote-getters will advance to a special general election on August 18.
Washington DC voters are selecting Democratic Party nominees for mayor and the district’s delegate to Congress in what officials describe as one of the city’s most consequential primaries in a generation. Outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser is not seeking reelection, and long-serving Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is also stepping down. Council members Kenyan McDuffie and Janeese Lewis George are the leading candidates for mayor.
Sources
- AP News — Live primary election updates, candidate information, and race details for all five jurisdictions voting today
- Al Jazeera — Overview of primary races, Trump’s endorsement role, and candidate backgrounds
- U.S. News & World Report — Coverage of how Trump’s endorsements are being tested across the races
