Democrat Jasmine Clark won her party’s nomination on Tuesday to succeed Rep. David Scott for a two-year term representing Georgia’s 13th Congressional District after Scott died in April while seeking another term. Clark is a state representative, microbiologist and a lecturer at Emory University who has promised to prioritize science in Congress. Her candidacy was boosted by more than $2 million in outside spending by cryptocurrency interests, but Clark said she did not court the support. She outpaced other Democrats including former school board member Everton Blair, state Sen. Emanuel Jones and reality TV personality Heavenly Kimes. Clark will be the odds-on favorite to succeed Scott for a full term starting next January, with Jonathan Chavez unopposed to become the Republican nominee. Meanwhile, two-term U.S. Rep. Mike Collins advanced to the Republican runoff for the U.S. Senate in Georgia's primary. The owner of a family trucking business, Collins, 58, represents a district east of Atlanta. The ally of President Donald Trump calls himself a “MAGA workhorse” and has made immigration enforcement a focus of his candidacy. Georgia Republicans are looking for a challenger to Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff. Of the other contenders, Rep. Buddy Carter is playing up his conservative records on Capitol Hill, while former college football coach Derek Dooley pitches himself as a political outsider. In the Republican primary for governor, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare billionaire Rick Jackson have advanced to the June 16 runoff, extending a bruising campaign battle. Trump endorsed Jones last year, and Jones thanked him Tuesday night. A Jones win would boost Trump’s influence in a critical battleground state. The president’s kingmaker record in Georgia had been shaky, failing to dislodge Gov. Brian Kemp and others in 2022 and backing Herschel Walker in a Senate loss that year. Democratic voters are also considering who should lead the party’s effort to win the governor’s office for the first time since 1998. The candidates include Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor; Geoff Duncan, a Republican-turned-Democrat who served as lieutenant governor; Jason Esteves, a former state senator; and Mike Thurmond, a former state labor commissioner. US Senate race will help determine Capitol Hill control Ossoff, 39, clinched his party’s nomination for a second term on Tuesday night. He had no opposition in the primary. He's the only Democratic senator in the country seeking reelection this year in a state that Trump won in 2024, making his race one of the most closely watched in the country. He has positioned himself as a critic of political corruption, targeting Trump and his sons for business dealings that have enriched the first family. This is Ossoff’s first reelection campaign. He became Georgia’s first Jewish senator in 2021. Meanwhile, the Republican primary has been a test of fealty to the president. Collins, who represents a district east of Atlanta, and Carter, who represents a district anchored by Savannah, are playing up their conservative records on Capitol Hill. Dooley says he would back Trump’s agenda without being steeped in Washington politics. Carter has attacked Collins over a House ethics complaint accusing him of abusing taxpayer funds by paying the girlfriend of a top aide for work she allegedly didn't perform. The Office of Congressional Conduct, after an initial inquiry, has referred the matter to the House Ethics Committee. Collins denies wrongdoing. “If taxpayers can’t trust you to properly steward their money, how can they trust you to be a U.S. senator?” Carter asked Collins in a primary debate. “Buddy,” Collins shot back, “I can tell through your voice that you know how the polling is going out there.” Collins a 2025 law that requires immigrants be detained when charged with certain crimes. Republicans believe the issue damages Ossoff because he initially voted against the measure before supporting it after Trump’s 2024 victory. Huge sums in Republican governor's race More than $125 million has been spent on in the Republican primary for governor, with more than $66 million of that spent by Jackson’s campaign, according to the latest figures from ad-tracking firm AdImpact. By contrast, Democrats running for governor have only spent about $4 million. Jones argues that his conservative record as a state senator and lieutenant governor, combined with Trump's support, should make him the clear choice for Republican voters. “I think Georgia just spoke, y’all,” Jones said at his election night party. “The reason why I know we’re gonna win is because of friends and family members." He emphasized his support for tax and regulatory cuts and also acknowledged the president. “I could not leave this stage without thanking President Donald J. Trump,” he said. Jackson is betting that his outsider pitch will win over antiestablishment conservatives. On Tuesday night, he called Jones a political insid
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