Collins beats out Trump-backed Jones for Georgia GOP House nod

Republican Mike Collins is projected to win the GOP nomination Tuesday to represent Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, overcoming former President Trump’s preferred candidate, former state Rep. Vernon Jones, in a primary runoff. 

The Associated Press called the race at 7:53 p.m. ET.

Collins, a trucking company owner, took the first-place spot in a June 24 primary against Jones and several other Republicans. But he fell short of the majority support needed to win the nomination outright, finishing just 4 points ahead of Jones.

Jones, a former Democrat, had previously sought the Republican nomination for Georgia governor but dropped out of that race after Trump promised to endorse him in the 10th District contest.

Collins, meanwhile, scored the endorsement of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) last week, effectively turning the primary runoff into a proxy war between Trump and the state’s Republican chief executive.

Georgia’s 10th District heavily favors Republicans, meaning Collins’s win puts him on track to easily win the seat in November.

Collins’s win is only the latest blow to Trump’s endorsing power in Georgia. The former president threw his support behind several Republican challengers ahead of the June 24 primaries but notched few victories.

Of particular note was Kemp’s victory in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Trump had endorsed former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) in the race, but Kemp easily won renomination.