Trump Endorsement Machine Hits Speed Bump in Georgia Showdown

Clear Facts

• President Trump’s endorsed candidates won two of three major Republican runoffs in Alabama and Georgia on Tuesday
• Businessman Rick Jackson defeated Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial runoff despite Jones’ Trump endorsement
• Jackson spent over $100 million of his own money and positioned himself as a Trump-style outsider businessman

President Donald Trump wasn’t on the ballot, but his immense influence over the Republican Party faced critical tests in high-stakes runoffs across Alabama and Georgia Tuesday. While Trump’s endorsement power remained largely intact, a Georgia billionaire delivered a rare defeat to the president’s political machine.

Trump-backed candidates secured victories in two of the three top races. The single setback came against a businessman who invested over $100 million of his own fortune into his campaign while positioning himself as a Trump-inspired outsider.

In Alabama’s solidly red Republican Senate runoff, Rep. Barry Moore, a House Freedom Caucus member and longtime Trump supporter, comfortably defeated rival Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL sniper backed by several prominent conservative figures. Moore’s victory demonstrated the continued strength of Trump’s endorsement in deep-red states.

In battleground Georgia’s Republican Senate runoff, an 11th-hour Trump endorsement this past weekend helped propel Rep. Mike Collins, a MAGA champion, to victory over former college football coach Derek Dooley, who had the backing of popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp. Collins will now face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in a general election race that could determine whether Republicans maintain their slim Senate majority.

However, in Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial runoff, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones—endorsed by both Trump and Gov. Kemp this past weekend—was defeated by Rick Jackson, who ran as an outsider businessman. Jones had regularly showcased his Trump endorsement throughout the campaign, but Jackson, who entered the race in February long after the president endorsed Jones, repeatedly credited Trump as his inspiration.

“I just thought, you know, if you had somebody doing business solutions for the state of Georgia, just like Trump is for the United States, I just felt like I would have a major impact on the state of Georgia, and so that was one of the reasons I wanted to get in. I was inspired by President Trump,” Jackson told Fox News Digital recently.

Jackson continuously emphasized that, like Trump, he represents an outsider businessman approach to governance.

“I’m going to be Trump’s favorite governor because we’re just alike on the way that we handle business and handle problems, and I want to do exactly in Georgia what he’s doing at the federal government,” he stated in a Fox News Digital interview Sunday.

The president’s endorsement power has been on full display in GOP primaries over the past six weeks, with Trump-backed candidates ousting incumbents he targeted in high-profile showdowns across Indiana, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Texas. These victories demonstrated Trump’s continued dominance within the Republican Party and his ability to reshape its leadership.

Trump’s endorsement streak in statewide and congressional Republican primaries was first broken two weeks ago when his 11th-hour backing of Rep. Randy Feenstra in Iowa’s gubernatorial race wasn’t enough to secure victory. Feenstra was narrowly defeated by Zach Lahn, a businessman and farmer backed by political organizations aligned with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Turning Point USA.

The president rebounded last week when his endorsed candidate in South Carolina’s GOP gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, finished first in a crowded field and clinched one of two runoff spots. Meanwhile, longtime Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham won a majority in the Republican Senate primary and avoided a runoff, despite facing challenges from five candidates including conservative businessman Mark Lynch.

A Trump political operative, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that Jackson’s historic spending had an impact on the outcome.

“Rick Jackson set a record for spending in a statewide Republican primary. He spent Tom Steyer level money in a state a fraction of the size of California. That’s going to have an impact,” the operative said.

The operative also emphasized that Jackson’s campaign strategy focused heavily on aligning with Trump.

“Rick bearhugged Trump. All of his ads and material was about how he’s going to be Trump’s favorite governor. So the race was not really a referendum on Trump,” the operative explained.

Veteran Republican strategist Matt Gorman offered perspective on the results.

“Rick was a great candidate. Trump’s endorsement can’t do all the work. It’s a massive value add but it’s not a panacea. Now the focus is on coming together for the fall,” Gorman told Fox News Digital.

Jackson received a last-minute endorsement from Sen. Ted Cruz, who joined him on the campaign trail for a runoff eve rally. Cruz also endorsed South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who faces Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette in next week’s runoff.

“Rick has an extraordinary record, an extraordinary life story. And I also think he’s positioned to win. And the stakes are too high. This election is a battleground all across the country. We can’t afford to lose Georgia,” Cruz told Fox News Digital.

When asked if he was creating distance between himself and the president, Cruz quickly dismissed the notion.

“No. Not remotely….The president and I agree on the vast majority of races. What I try to do in every race is endorse the strongest conservative who can win. And typically I get in races late in the race at a time where my support might be able to make a difference and be helpful,” Cruz responded.

The mixed results demonstrate that while Trump’s endorsement remains the most powerful force in Republican primaries, well-funded candidates who position themselves as Trump-aligned outsiders can still compete effectively. The Georgia gubernatorial race particularly highlighted how embracing Trump’s outsider businessman brand can sometimes prove as effective as earning his direct endorsement.

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