Businessman Mike Collins has bested former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones in Tuesday's Republican primary runoff for the 10th Congressional District, according to Newsmax election partner Decision Desk HQ.
Former President Donald Trump had endorsed Jones after he left the Georgia gubernatorial election in February when former Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., entered. The 61-year-old Jones is a well-known figure to Republican voters. He has appeared on TV regularly after changing his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and has since become a staunch advocate for Black Republicans.
Collins received the endorsement of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp last week, spending a large portion of his campaign attacking Jones for his past, specifically concerning women. He also frequently pointed out Jones' history with the Democratic Party.
The two advanced to the runoff election after neither received a majority of the vote on May 24. In that race, businessman Timothy Barr and Navy veteran Paul C. Broun failed to qualify at 14.4% and 13.4% of the vote, respectively.
The victory of Collins, who postured himself as a staunch conservative despite not having Trump's support, serves as another loss for the former president in Georgia, The Hill noted.
Other Trump-backed Georgia candidates in 2022, including Perdue and Rep. Jody Hice, who left the 10th district to run for attorney general, lost their respective primaries last month.
Nevertheless, the Trump endorsement still appears to hold sway nationwide. Last Tuesday, Trump-backed candidates Adam Laxalt and Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo in Nevada and House hopeful Kevin Kiley in California won their primary races easily.
Collins will face Democrat Tabitha Johnson-Green, who defeated Jessica Fore in their runoff.
But winning the runoff means Collins will likely hold the seat in November. According to FiveThirtyEight, redistricting has turned the seat from a partisan voting index of R+28 to R+31.
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