The Latest: Trump-backed candidates secure GOP Senate nominations in Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma
President Donald Trump 's preferred candidates were doing well in Tuesday's primaries, securing the Republican nominations for U.S. Senate in Alabama, Georgia and Oklahoma, though not for Georgia governor.
Trump has been at the center of this year’s midterm campaigns, and his influence was being tested in different ways Tuesday as four states and the District of Columbia held primaries.
Among Democrats, the primaries hinge on longstanding divides between progressives and moderates as the party tries to chart the best path forward to November.
Here's the latest:
The attorney defeated businessman Dakarai Larriett and moves on to the November general election.
Wess is seeking the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor.
Wess is the managing partner of The Wess Law Firm, a former municipal judge, city prosecutor and public defender. His legal practice is primarily focused on estate planning and criminal defense. Wess has emphasized his legal experience and experience working within the Democratic Party.
“Families throughout Alabama are struggling with inflation, housing costs, high gas bills, high utility bills and these everyday expenses,” he said during an online candidate forum hosted by Birmingham Indivisible.
Republicans dominate Alabama politics, currently holding all statewide offices. But Democrats believe that frustration about inflation and other issues could give them an opening to sway some voters.
Alabama’s Republican nominee for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat told supporters he was humbled as they stood by him through a “brutal” campaign.
His runoff win Tuesday is another chapter in his political survivor story.
Moore was first elected to the state’s 2nd District in 2020. But after the district was redrawn to favor a Democrat in 2024, he challenged the sitting GOP incumbent in the 1st District and won. In the Senate primary, he defeated Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and newcomer Jared Hudson.
Moore said he was grateful for the endorsement the president, whom Moore called the “greatest president of my lifetime.” He supported Trump as far back as 2015 after he announced his first run for president.
“For him to come out early for us, and get in the fight for us, that was a full-circle moment for our family,” Moore said.
In-person Election Day voting concluded in California’s 14th Congressional District at 11 p.m. ET. Comparable past elections can offer clues about when to expect the first vote results and how long the vote count might take.
In the statewide special election for Proposition 50 on Nov. 4, 2025, the AP first reported results from Alameda County, home to the 14th District, at 11:14 p.m. ET, or 14 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 1:33 a.m. ET, with about 57% of total votes counted. The county completed about 99% of the vote county by Nov. 10.
Election board spokesperson Sarah Graham said six centers remained open around 10:30 p.m. ET. She said it was unclear whether the cause of the delay was long lines.
Guidance for the Board said the voting centers would remain open for anyone who was still in line at 8 p.m. when polls closed. D.C. has 75 such centers and residents are allowed to vote at any of them.
Tuesday’s primary marked the first time that D.C. has ever had ranked choice voting. There are a number of races on the ballot, including several D.C. Council seats as well as primary elections for mayor and delegate to Congress.
If Moore prevails in November, both of Alabama’s U.S. senators will be from the same hometown.
He and Republican Sen. Katie Britt grew up in Enterprise, a city of about 31,000 in southeastern Alabama. They also graduated from Enterprise High School — Moore in 1984 and Britt in 2000.
Moore had his election night watch party at Rawls Restaurant, an Italian restaurant in Enterprise, where he still lives. A large crowd gathered in the private event room decorated with campaign signs. Britt now lives in Montgomery.
Enterprise is in a region of the state called the Wiregrass, which refers to a type of native grass that dots the region. It’s best known for peanut farming and Fort Rucker, an Army base where helicopter pilots are trained — but could soon be known as the hometown of senators.
Jones kept his remarks short, expressing his disappointment and thanking his supporters.
“Looks like we’re going to come up a little short here tonight and that’s unfortunate,” he said. “We had a great Election Day. We just didn’t have enough runway to get it all the way there.”
He thanked Jackson and congratulated him on his win.
“We were outspent probably seven or eight to one, and it was a very competitive race, and we felt like we had a chance to win tonight and just came up a little short,” Jones said.
After his remarks, Jones circulated among his supporters, posing for photos and thanking them for being there.
Moore benefited from Trump’s endorsement in the solidly Republican state. He defeated political newcomer Jared Hudson in the Republican primary runoff.
Moore is a three-term congressman and a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. In endorsing him, Trump said Alabama deserved a “Trump conservative” in the Senate
Hudson, a former Navy SEAL, had forced Moore into a competitive runoff after the state’s May primary by running as a political outsider and attacking Moore over his ties to Washington.
The seat is being vacated by Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor in November.
Mazzei, a former state senator, didn’t receive Trump’s endorsement until the final weeks of a race that featured several prominent Oklahoma Republicans.
In the runoff he’ll face Drummond, who has served as Oklahoma’s top law enforcement official since 2023 and has loaned his campaign millions of dollars in a bid to become the state’s first new governor in eight years.
The eventual GOP nominee will be a heavy favorite to succeed outgoing Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt, who cannot run again because of term limits.
The runoff will take place Aug. 25.
McDuffie told those gathered that it’s “going to be a while before we know the results of this election.” He urged voters to “respect the process.”
McDuffie thanked his supporters and said that Washington residents had “showed up in this election like I have never seen before.”
He defended the city’s autonomy against threats of a federal takeover by the Trump administration.
“Washington, D.C., has a right to govern itself. It is under threat right now, but Donald Trump does not run Washington, D.C. We do,” McDuffie told the crowd. “And we will fight for D.C.’s autonomy every single day of the week.”
He said he feels the pain of Georgians.
“I know what it’s like to feel like nobody sees you,” he told supporters after the Republican gubernatorial runoff.
“I had seven different stepfathers and a mother who battled alcoholism,” he said. “I lived with five different foster families and attended 13 different schools.”
“But with God’s help, I built a business, created thousands of jobs and lived the American dream.”
Jackson sounded jubilant after the Georgia Republican gubernatorial runoff.
“The SEC championship is over — on to the national championship,” he said to a cheering audience. “Thank you, Georgia.”
The billionaire noted his outsider status as a strength.
“I’m the only candidate who doesn’t owe a thing to the political establishment,” he said. “I can’t be bought and I won’t back down.”
Jackson, whose opponent Burt Jones was endorsed by Trump and Gov. Brian Kemp, said: “We proved the people of Georgia are in charge.”
Jackson, who gave his campaign more than $93 million of his own money, defeated Burt Jones, the lieutenant governor who carried Trump’s endorsement after being part of the president’s effort to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
Jackson said he was the most Trump-like figure in the race as an outsider businessman. His personal investment puts him among the biggest self-funded candidates in U.S. history.
He’ll face Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms in the general election. Bottoms was just the second Black woman to serve as Atlanta mayor and she’s vying to become the first Black woman elected governor of a U.S. state.
The former college football coach said he had been “humbled” by the grueling Senate campaign. He thanked his political ally, Gov. Brian Kemp, for endorsing his Senate bid, as well as his family and campaign staff for their support.
“I will be forever indebted to you, and I will help you any way I can,” Dooley told his staff.
“Congratulations to Congressman Collins. He ran a tough campaign, he got out early and we just never could catch him. We have a lot of disagreements but the one thing that hasn’t changed is my opinion of Jon Ossoff,” Dooley said.
“Y’all know what the mission? It’s to put a Republican in that seat and to get rid of that Jon Ossoff,” Collins told supporters after winning the Georgia Republican Senate runoff.
“We can put forward an agenda that puts Georgians first. One that builds on a vision where the forgotten man is forgotten no more,” he said.
“It stands in stark contrast to what Jon Ossoff has done,” Collins said, calling the Democrat “the deciding vote for Joe Biden’s massive spending bill.”
Collins is thanking supporters after winning the Georgia Republican runoff for U.S. Senate.
Amid waving signs of “I like Mike” and “Delivering wins,” the U.S. House member first thanked his wife of 37 years, Leanne, before mentioning others.
“She is the rock of our family,” he said. “And has always had my back.”
Collins did not mention Trump, who endorsed him in the runoff.
Senate Leadership Fund, the top Senate Republican super PAC, congratulated Collins on his win. It then then immediately pivoted to attacking his general election Democratic opponent, incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff,” as a “rubber stamp” for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
In a statement, the PAC said Ossoff “is wildly out of step with Georgia voters, spending the last six years advancing radical liberal priorities at the expense of working families.”
Meanwhile, Senate Majority PAC, the top Democratic super PAC in Senate campaigns, swiftly lambasted Collins.
“Mike Collins is an opposition researcher’s dream,” Lauren French, a spokesperson for Senate Majority PAC, said in a statement. “He treats Congress like a money-making scheme for his family business, an ethics-free zone, and a conspiracy theory clearinghouse — sometimes all in the same week. This unelectable nepo baby doesn’t have what it takes to beat Jon Ossoff.”
The crowd has started filtering into the mayoral candidate’s party inside the historic Howard Theatre, where some of the biggest names in Black music and entertainment history have played, including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and James Brown.
Frazier O’Leary, a former member of the D.C. Board of Education got there early to support Lewis George. He met her in 2018 during his first campaign.
“She helped me in my campaign,” he said. They supported one another’s campaigns until 2024, when he lost his reelection bid.
“I’ve always been impressed by her commitment to the city and to the things I care about,” he said. “It’s been wonderful watching her grow as a person.”
Hern is seeking the Senate seat once held by Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
His victory is the latest demonstration of the power of Trump’s endorsements within the GOP.
The four-term congressman received more than 50% of the vote in a five-person field to avoid an August runoff after Trump’s support kept his most serious potential rivals out of the race.
The endorsement arrived even before the Senate confirmed Mullin as a replacement for fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Hern will be favored to win the seat in November. Democrats haven’t won a U.S. Senate race in Oklahoma since 1990.
Collins, a second-term congressman, defeated Derek Dooley. He advances to face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff for a seat that will help determine control of the Senate for the final years of Trump’s second presidency.
The president endorsed Collins on Sunday. The congressman has identified closely with Trump since he first won his House seat in 2022.
A trucking company owner and son of a congressman, Collins campaigned as a self-described “MAGA warrior.”
Trump will be a key fault line in the general election matchup. Ossoff was first elected in 2020 and blasts Trump as a “national embarrassment.”
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Correction: This post has been corrected to show that Trump endorsed Collins.
Julian Metheny, who voted for Hudson in Shelby County, said he liked the Republican candidate’s service as a Navy SEAL, his Christian messaging and that he is not part of the political system.
“I like the fact that he was willing to put his life on the line for our country,” said Metheny, 70, who is from a family with multiple veterans.
“He’s not playing the game of politics. He’s an outsider,” he said.
Trump’s endorsement helped Moore with certain voters, but some said it wasn’t the only factor in deciding to cast their ballot for him.
Moore voters at a Methodist church in Pike Road, a rural-feeling suburb near Montgomery, cited his political experience in Washington and the state capital.
“He’s the best qualified, I can tell you that — no question,” said Bob Marshall, 91.
Jim and Sandy Cowen said they also thought Moore’s years in office were a benefit.
“I like the way Moore presents himself. I don’t know Jared,” Jim Cowen said, referring to Moore’s opponent in the GOP primary, former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson.
In-person Election Day voting concluded in Alabama, Oklahoma and Washington, D.C. at 8 p.m. ET. Comparable past elections can offer clues about when to expect the first vote results and how long the vote count might take.
In Alabama’s GOP U.S. Senate primary on May 19, the AP first reported results at 8:28 p.m. ET, or 28 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 12:54 a.m. ET, with more than 99.9% of total votes counted.
In the 2022 Oklahoma state primary, the AP first reported results at 8:10 p.m. ET, or 10 minutes after polls closed. By 10:30 p.m. ET, more than 90% of the votes had been counted. The last vote update of the night was at 12:33 a.m. ET, with about 99.9% of total votes counted.
In the 2022 primary election in Washington, D.C., the AP first reported results at 8:30 p.m. ET, or 30 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:59 p.m. ET, with about 69% of total votes counted. The District’s new ranked choice voting system will extend the timeline for any races that advance to ranked choice tabulation.
In-person Election Day voting concluded in Georgia at 7 p.m. ET.
Comparable past elections can offer clues about when to expect the first vote results and how long the vote count might take.
In the May 19 Republican primary for governor, the AP first reported results at 7:13 p.m. ET, or 13 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 3:13 a.m. ET, with more than 99.9% of total votes counted.
At a polling place in Griffin, some Republican voters relied on their personal knowledge of candidates when making their selections.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who’s running for governor, and U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, who’s running for U.S. Senate, both grew up in Jackson, about 20 miles away.
Joann Colwell-Kinard, 82, said she voted for both Jones and Collins, having known their families for more than 50 years and believing them to be “good, honest people.”
“I just think he’s a very honest person and I think he’ll do a good job,” she said of Jones.
Stephen Tobias, 63, said he voted for former football coach Derek Dooley for Senate, saying he didn’t like Collins. He also backed Rick Jackson over Burt Jones for governor because he doesn’t like data centers.
“They’re putting a data center right in my backyard, so I’m not really a happy camper,” Tobias said.
Voters in the District of Columbia will be using ranked choice voting for the first time since they approved the switch in 2024. Ranked choice voting allows voters to choose multiple candidates, ranking them in order.
Election officials have cautioned that the new system, combined with the number of mail in ballots that come in on Election Day, could mean slower results in some races.
Monica Evans, executive director of the D.C. Board of Elections, said results from in person ballots and those cast early will be counted and posted, along with any mail in ballots already received and processed.
“What you will not see election night will be any mail ballots we receive on Election Day,” she said, noting that can be as 30,000 to 40,000 ballots.
In the worst case scenario, the first tabulations of the ranked choice ballots could be Sunday, she said.
Attorney Everett Wess and business owner Dakarai Larriett are seeking the Democratic nomination for the state’s open Senate seat.
The winner of Tuesday’s runoff will face long odds in November.
Republicans have held the seat for nearly 30 years, with the exception of the three years when it was held by Democrat Doug Jones.
Republicans also hold all statewide offices in Alabama. But Democrats believe frustration with inflation and other issues could give them an opening this year in the deep red state.
The winner will face the Republican nominee in November for the seat being vacated by Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor.
It’s the first time in decades that the Democrat’s name isn’t on the ballot for D.C. delegate.
Norton, 89, is finishing her 18th term as the district’s nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House and is the chamber’s oldest member.
She faced heavy pressure to stand down by critics who said she wasn’t pushing back hard enough against the Trump administration’s intervention into her city.
Norton was a personal friend to civil rights icons such as Medgar Evers and a contemporary of other activists-turned-congressional stalwarts, including Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina and the late Democratic Rep. John Lewis of Georgia.
Council members Brooke Pinto and Robert White Jr. are the top candidates vying for the role.
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