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Trump seeks sway over primaries

Key takeaways from election in 3 states, DC

By: Phillip M. Bailey
USA Today

..... President Donald Trump's ongoing quest to dominate Republican primary elections met a rare point of resistance when he opposed Georgia Governor Brien Kemp's endorsement in a critical U.S. Senate race.
..... But ultimately, Trump's preferred candidate won - again.
..... Ahead of the 2026 midterms, the president has successfully purged dissenters and picked other nominees with ease, particularly in the South, where he had catapulted several longtime incumbents out of Congress. Other June 16 elections also showcased how Trump's weight can impact an election, including the first ever ranked-choice contest for mayor of Washington, DC.
..... Here are the important developments to take away from the June 16 [2026] race:

Trump vs. Kemp in Georgia

..... Part of Trump's falling-out with former Representative Marijorie Taylor Greene stemmed from the president's desire to run a more viable candidate for Senate in Georgia. It would be easier for Republicans to keep control of the upper chamber if they could flip Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff out of office, and this primary battle was largely a question of who was best for the job.
..... Kemp through Derek Dooley, a friend and former college football coach, was the better fit. He put his political network behind Dooley and pitched him as an outsider who was better suited for the general election.
..... However, the president issued a last-minute endorsement for Representative Mike Collins. He noted that Dooley, like Kemp, affirmed that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, which is a no-go for candidates seeking Trump's OK.
..... That helped Collins seal the nomination less than an hour after the polls closed. He is an immigration hard-liner popular among conservative for drafting the Lake Riley Act. but he can be a lighting rod for Democrats, such as when he suggested that an Episcopal bishop "should be added to the deportation list" after she urged Trump to show mercy toward immigrants in a sermon.

Trump, Kemp's governor pick out

..... Things were a bit chummier between Trump and Kemp when it came time to pick a GOP successor to battle Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor., for the governorship this fall. [2026]
..... Both endorsed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who joined Trump in trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the state.
.....But their combined strength wasn't enough. Georgia GOP voters chose Rick Jackson, a helaht care CEO supported by Senators Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Florida.
..... The two sides spent a total of about $162 million on primary ads, according to Adimpact.
..... Jackson relentlessly attacked the lieutenant governor, arguing that his business background uniquely qualified him as an outsider to tackies the state's problems in foster care and other areas.
..... "Tonight, you made your voice loud and clear," Jackson told supporter June 16 [2026] after the election was called.

Democratic socialist leading DC?

..... Two very different Democrats led the running to become mayor of Washington,DC: Janeese Lewis George, a self-described democratic socialist on the City Council, and Kenyan McDuffie, a more moderate former council member. It was the district's first ranked-choice vote for the position.
..... Trump didn't hesitate when asked if he'd be OK with Lewis George as mayor: " I wouldn't like it - and maybe we'll take back Washington, run it on the federal basis. We won't put up with it," he said earlier in June. [2026]
..... DC voters nonetheless appeared poised to put the 38-year-old city council member and her left-leaning agenda - which emphasizes universal child care, social housing and stronger labor unions - in charge of the nation's capital. She was leading 53% to 37% with 66% of the results counted.
..... If Lewis George stays above 50%, she'll win. If not, the race goes to an instant runoff factoring in voters; lower-ranked preferences.
..... Lewis George's grassroots campaign has been compared to the election of other democratic socialists such as New York city Mayor Zohram Mamdani and Settle Mayor Katie Wilson.
..... That might explain Trump suggesting he might use the 1973 Home Rule Act, which gives the federal government certain powers over DC governance.

Oklahoma rejects wage hike

..... Oklahoma had plenty of statewide races - but voters were clear hat hiking up how much the poorest workers are being paid is what drove them to the polls June 16. [2026]
..... Congress hasn't raised the $7.25 hourly minimum wage in almost two decades, even though doing so is popular across partisan line. A 2024 Data for Progress survey found 86% of likely voters, including 84% of Republicans, don't think that's enough to live off.
..... At least 28 states and the District of Columbia have raised the floor since 2014, including Florida, Missouri and Alaska.
..... Oklahoma's ballot initiative would gradually increase the lowest wage to 415 an hour in 2029. But with more than 95% of the vote counted, it failed by a decisive margin, about 44% for and 56% against.
..... In the race to replace Governor Kevin Stitt, who is term-limited, state House minority leader Cyndi Munson won the Democratic primary decisively, per data from CNN and the Associated Press.

Moore overcome Hudson in AL

..... In Alabama, Republican Santor Tommy Tuberville is leaving Congress to run for governor. Voters were left with two contenders in a runoff.
..... Much like the other GOP primaries, rank-and-file Republicans followed the president's direction and supported Representative Barry Moore over Jared Hudson, a former Navy SEAL.
..... In such a deep-red state, Moore's primary win all but ensure he will be Alabama's next senator.

.... Contributing Irene Wright, Terry Collins, Nicole Fallert and James Powell, USA Today

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