Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.
* With one day remaining before some closely watched races in Georgia, Donald Trump weighed on the state’s Republican U.S. Senate primary, throwing his support behind Rep. Mike Collins, a longtime loyalist to the president. The move puts Trump at odds with Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who reportedly has concerns about Collins’ electability and has backed former football coach Derek Dooley in the race.
In Georgia’s GOP gubernatorial primary, however, the governor and the president are on the same page: They’re both backing Lt. Gov. Burt Jones over billionaire businessman Rick Jackson. The winner will face off in the fall against former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Both parties will also hold primaries for secretary of state on Tuesday, and in Athens, there will be a Democratic mayoral primary. What’s more, there’s also a state Senate special election, which will likely be the first blue-to-red flip of Trump’s second term, but not for the usual reasons.
* In Alabama, there’s another closely watched Republican U.S. Senate primary, featuring Rep. Barry Moore, who enjoys the president’s backing, and Jared Hudson, a retired Navy SEAL and political newcomer.
* Speaking of Alabama, there appear to be legitimate questions about whether Sen. Tommy Tuberville meets the state’s residency requirements, since he voted in Florida as recently as 2018. But the Alabama Republican Party agreed over the weekend to allow the senator’s gubernatorial campaign to continue anyway.