Georgia, Alabama runoffs test Trump’s influence in Senate races

The next Republican nominees in two Southern Senate races will show how much weight Donald Trump still carries inside the party. In Georgia, Rep. Mike Collins and former football coach Derek Dooley will meet in a June 16 runoff for the chance to face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, while Alabama Republicans will choose between Rep. Barry Moore and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson for an open seat that will strongly favor the GOP in November.

Georgia’s runoff is the sharper test. Collins led the May 19 primary with about 40.5% of the vote, Dooley followed with about 30%, and Rep. Buddy Carter finished around 25%. Trump had not publicly endorsed a candidate in the race, leaving Dooley to lean on the backing of outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp. With the Georgia Senate contest rated a Toss-up by Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, the runoff will help determine whether a Trump-aligned House member or a Kemp-backed outsider has the stronger path in a statewide race.

Voting in Georgia will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. statewide on Tuesday, and the ballot will be crowded beyond the Senate contest. The Republican gubernatorial runoff will pit Lt. Gov. Burt Jones against healthcare executive Rick Jackson, and the winner will go on to face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in November. That gives Georgia Republicans a second major test of which faction can turn out voters when the presidential imprint is gone and local political brands matter more.

Alabama presents a different but equally telling picture. Moore advanced with just under 40% of the vote in the six-way primary, while state Attorney General Steve Marshall missed the runoff in third place. Trump reaffirmed his support for Moore on Truth Social, calling him a longtime ally and giving him his “complete and total endorsement.” Hudson, meanwhile, has tried to position himself as the alternative in a race that will still leave the eventual nominee the heavy favorite in a solidly red state.

Taken together, the runoffs will measure more than just two nominations. They will show whether Trump’s backing remains the decisive asset in Republican primaries, or whether local alliances, candidate biography and state-specific political brands can still override it when the vote is closer and the stakes are broader.