Georgia GOP primary results hinge on 2020 election claims

The 2020 presidential election remains a central and divisive issue in Georgia's Republican politics, as evidenced by the results of this week's primary and the upcoming runoff campaigns for key statewide offices. Candidates who have embraced former President Donald Trump's false claims of a stolen election performed strongly, while those who rejected those claims were defeated.

In the race for governor, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who served as a Trump alternate elector in 2020, led the Republican field with about 40 percent of the vote. He has earned Trump's endorsement and will face billionaire political newcomer Rick Jackson in a runoff. Jackson, who has not focused on 2020, aired an ad attacking outgoing Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who famously resisted Trump's pressure to overturn the state's results. Raffensperger finished a distant third with just 15 percent of the vote.

For the U.S. Senate, Rep. Mike Collins led the primary with about 40 percent of the vote. Collins has repeatedly claimed the 2020 election was rigged, featuring the argument in campaign ads. He will face former college football coach Derek Dooley in the runoff. Both candidates have pledged...