Georgia’s Republican Gov. Brian Kemp won his party’s primary on Tuesday against a Donald Trump-backed candidate, marking the former US president’s biggest defeat so far in his efforts to play kingmaker ahead of the November by-elections.
Kemp and Democratic contender Stacy Abrams will face off in a rematch of the 2018 race, which will probably be one of the most expensive and closely watched in the country.
Kemp easily responded to the challenge of Tuesday’s Republican primary by former US Senator David Purdue, who was backed by Trump in retaliation for Kemp’s disagreement with Trump’s efforts to undo his defeat in Georgia’s 2020 election.
Purdue embraced Trump’s election lies by opening two debates between the candidates, claiming that the 2020 vote was “rigged and stolen.” Election officials found no evidence of fraud after numerous inspections.
In the defeat, he set a unifying tone that is becoming increasingly rare in the Republican Party, which is dominated by Trump’s tough tactics.
“I want you to know tonight that I fully support Brian Kemp in his quest to beat Stacey Abrams,” Purdue said. “It’s emotional for all of us, we’re disappointed, I understand. Let’s take a few hours to lick our wounds, and tomorrow morning you’ll hear me go to work for Brian Camp to make sure Stacey Abrams is never governor of Georgia. “
Georgia’s nominee for governor of Georgia, Stacy Abrams, can be seen. Abrams and Kemp will face off in November. (Brin Anderson / Associated Press)
Republicans are increasingly preferring
Voters in Georgia were still waiting to see if Georgian Secretary of State Brad Rafensperger also withstood Trump’s attempts to oust him.
A total of five states voted Tuesday, including Alabama, Arkansas, Texas and Minnesota. But no one was more absorbed than Georgia by Trump and his lie that the 2020 election was stolen.
The political environment is becoming more favorable for Republicans on the eve of the midterm elections in November. According to a poll by Reuters / Ipsos on Tuesday, President Joe Biden’s approval rating fell to 36 percent, the lowest level of his presidency, reflecting voters’ concerns about rising inflation.
Republicans are preferred to win a majority in the US House of Representatives in November, although analysts say Democrats have a better chance of retaining control of the Senate.
The loss of any chamber will stop Biden’s legislative agenda and give Republicans the power to launch distracting and potentially politically damaging investigations.
Rafensperger, who rejected Trump’s request in 2020 to “find” enough votes to change the result, is facing US envoy Jody Hayes, who won Trump’s approval and repeated his allegations of fraud in a race that polls say is narrow.
Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Rafensperger spoke at a news conference on November 11, 2020. Rafensperger was also trying to survive Trump’s proposal Tuesday to see him ousted. (Brin Anderson / Associated Press)
Trump has made more than 190 approvals since leaving office, mostly for incumbent Republicans who do not face serious primary opposition.
He has set a mixed record in racing. His candidate for the US Senate in Pennsylvania, TV presenter Dr. Mehmet Oz, is in a race that is still too close to call a week after the vote.
But his preferred candidate for the Georgia Senate, Herschel Walker, easily won the Republican nomination, despite warnings from Walker’s Republican rivals about his history of domestic violence and mental health struggles. He will face incumbent Democrat Senator Rafael Warnock in the fall in a race that could determine control of the hall.
Other competitions
Democrats were particularly focused on the run-off election in South Texas, where longtime incumbent Henry Cuelar faced a fierce challenge from progressive Jessica Cisneros in a race where abortion was a major issue. Cuelar is the last Democrat against abortion to serve in the House.
Republicans decided a series of primary elections that included some of their most controversial figures.
In Alabama, conservative brand Mo Brooks ran to represent Republicans in a race to replace retired Sen. Richard Shelby. Brooks, a leading figure in the January 6 Stop the Theft rally that preceded the Capitol attack, initially won Trump’s approval, although Trump revoked it after watching Brooks fight in the polls.
US spokesman Mo Brooks spoke to the media after the vote in the primary election in the state of Alabama on Tuesday. (Your Hunt / Associated Press)
Trump’s leading ally, Marjorie Taylor Green, won her primary election in the state’s 14th congressional district, despite a first term known for her conspiracy theories and controversies.
And former Trump White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders, who was the face of the administration that contributed to the nation’s sharp divide, won the Republican governor’s nomination in Arkansas.
On behalf of Georgia Democrats, two incumbents in Congress, Lucy Macbeth and Carolyn Bourdain, competed against each other in the Atlanta suburbs, forced to run in rare primary elections after Republicans redrawn a map of Congress.
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