Georgia: Incumbent Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (pictured), who raised Donald J. Trump’s ire for refusing to “find” 11,780 votes and overturn the state’s Electoral College votes from Joe Biden in 2020, took 52.1% of the Republican primary vote in his race for re-election and avoided a runoff before the November general election. Challenger Jody Hice, who was endorsed by the ex-president, won just 33.7% of the GOP primary, according to Ballotpedia. 

Raffensperger’s win gives anti-Trump Republicans a 2-0 win in Georgia’s most contested races, with incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp’s easy victory over David Perdue, 73.5% to 21.9% (per Ballotpedia). Kemp faces Democratic candidate Stacey Abrams this November for the second time in four years.

But the final count among the most closely watched Republican races in Georgia is 2-2, with Trump ally and University of Georgia football hero Herschel Walker easily winning the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat Raphael Warnock for his Senate seat in November’s general election. 

Uber-MAGA first-term Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene took 70.4% of a crowded GOP primary, according to the AP, and faces Democrat Marcus Flowers this November.

Alabama: Katie Britt, who was campaign manager and chief of staff to retiring Republican Sen. Richard Shelby won 45.2% of the GOP primary vote and faces Trump ally, Rep. Mo Brooks (28.6%) in a runoff for the Republican nomination.

Arkansas: Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a former White House press secretary to Donald J. Trump, easily won the Republican nomination for governor, a seat held by her father from 1996 to 2007. Her Democrat opponent this November is Chris Jones, considered to have slim-to-zero chance.

--TL/CD