President Trump, who has bragged about his “amazing track record” in picking MAGA primary winners, will see his influence put to the test in Georgia, where he endorsed GOP Senate candidate Mike Collins in Tuesday’s GOP runoff election that polls show is virtually tied.
Mr. Trump is also betting on a candidate in the Alabama GOP Senate runoff. He’s endorsed Rep. Barry Moore, who is running against former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in a race polls suggest is a toss-up.
Mr. Collins, a U.S. House lawmaker representing Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, is facing off against college football coach Derek Dooley.
The winner in Georgia will battle incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November in what is likely to be one of the most competitive races in the midterm election.
Mr. Trump endorsed Mr. Collins on Sunday, calling him in a Truth Social post a “Highly Respected Congressman who has been with me from the very beginning” and “strongly supported by the most Highly Respected MAGA Patriots in Georgia and beyond.”
Mr. Trump is betting both Mr. Moore and Mr. Collins will extend the president’s high-stakes winning streak that so far includes Texas, where his endorsement of MAGA candidate Ken Paxton helped him defeat longtime Republican incumbent John Cornyn, and Louisiana, where voters rejected incumbent GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy in favor of Mr. Trump’s preferred candidate, Rep. Julia Letlow.
Mr. Trump’s endorsement of Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein also helped defeat seven-term Rep. Thomas Massie in the Kentucky Republican congressional primary. The president also counts as wins his endorsements of safer GOP incumbents and candidates who are leading in the polls.
Ballotpedia, which tracks and analyses political races, calculated Mr. Trump’s “primary success rate” at 98%.
“You know every time I endorse they win, it’s a pretty amazing track record,” Mr. Trump boasted last week.
Mr. Trump’s Sunday endorsement of Mr. Collins put him at odds with his one-time political nemesis, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Mr. Kemp is backing Mr. Dooley, the former University of Tennessee football coach, and is campaigning around the state on his behalf.
Mr. Trump had a bitter falling out with Mr. Kemp six years ago when the governor refused to stand in the way of certifying the state’s presidential election results that narrowly favored Democrat Joseph R. Biden. While the two have since reached a tepid truce, Mr. Trump continues to insist the election was rigged, a claim echoed by Mr. Collins.
The polling firm Insider Advantage showed Mr. Collins up by 2 points on Monday following Mr. Trump’s endorsement. The poll previously showed the two candidates tied on Saturday night.
“Trump certainly gave him a boost,” pollster Matt Towery told The Washington Times.
The Georgia Senate seat is a top GOP target in November. Mr. Ossoff, who is seeking a second term, is widely considered the most vulnerable Senate Democrat in the midterm election.
Yet the most recent general election poll, conducted in early April, showed Mr. Ossoff leading Mr. Collins, 51% to 44%.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee blasted Mr. Trump’s endorsement of Mr. Collins, calling him “extreme” and bragging that Mr. Ossoff “has built a formidable campaign and in November, Georgia voters will re-elect him.”
Alabama’s Senate race is less competitive in November. Either Mr. Moore, a MAGA loyalist, or Mr. Hudson, who is running as an anti-establishment candidate, will face off against Dakarai Larriett or Everett Wess, the Democratic contenders in the runoff.
The Senate seat was left open when incumbent Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced his campaign for governor.
Most analysts believe it will be difficult for a Democrat to flip the seat. The non-partisan Cook Political Report has rated the race as “Solid Republican.”
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.