What to watch for in the Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas primaries
Everything you need to know as voters head to the polls
Voters in Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas go to the polls on Tuesday to pick their party's nominees ahead of November's midterm election. Here's everything you need to know:
Georgia
In the race for Georgia governor, former President Donald Trump has endorsed former Sen. David Perdue in his bid to unseat incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. After Kemp refused to aid Trump in overturning the results of the 2020 election, Trump blasted the governor as a "turncoat" and donated heavily to his challenger. Despite Trump's support, a FOX 5/InsiderAdvantage poll conducted between April 28 and May 1 showed Kemp leading Perdue by 16 points. Radio host Erick Erickson tweeted last week that Purdue and the outside groups backing him appeared to have "pulled their ads."
A week out from the primary, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that thousands of Democrats had taken advantage of Georgia's open primary system to cast early ballots in the Republican primary. Some hoped "to help nominate a Republican they see as more vulnerable in November," while others sought to "punish David Perdue and other candidates backed by" the former president.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump, aiming to dismantle Kemp's entire political machine, has also endorsed candidates for other statewide offices: John Gordon for attorney general, Jody Hice for secretary of state, and Patrick Witt for insurance and safety fire commissioner.
Meanwhile, in the Democratic Senate primary, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D), who is seeking a full term after winning a special election in Jan. 2021, is expected to win his race. So is Trump-backed Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker. The likely November matchup between the two is considered a toss-up.
Of the state's 14 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, six are held by Democrats and eight by Republicans. In Georgia's 7th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux is running an expensive primary race against challenger Lucy McBath. McBath currently represents the 6th Congressional District but decided to run in the 7th after Republicans redrew it to favor their party. The 6th is expected to flip in November, giving the GOP a 9-5 advantage.
That lead could widen to 10-4 if Georgia's 2nd Congressional district — which FiveThirtyEight ranks as "highly competitive" — also flips. Six Republicans are vying for the chance to challenge 15-term incumbent Sanford Bishop (D).
Controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) is favored to win her primary in the deep red 14th Congressional District.
Alabama
In the race for the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Richard Shelby (R), polling conducted earlier this month had attorney Katie Britt — Shelby's former chief of staff — leading Rep. Mo Brooks (R) by 9 points.
Trump initially endorsed Brooks, but when the congressman suggested it might be time to move on from 2020, Trump accused Brooks of having gone "woke" and yanked his endorsement. Trump's backing gave Brooks an early advantage, but his poll numbers began to slip as other candidates entered the race. Election analyst Jacob Rubashkin suggested that Trump rescinded his endorsement because Brooks "blew a 44-point lead," not because of Brooks' comment about 2020.
Incumbent Gov. Kay Ivey (R) is heavily favored to win her primary and go on to win a second term as governor in November. Six Democrats are vying for the chance to mount a long-shot challenge to Ivey in a race Cook Political Report rates as "Solid R."
Republicans hold six of the state's seven seats in the House of Representatives. None of the seven is considered competitive. The only open House primary for an incumbent party is being held in Alabama's 5th Congressional District, which Brooks currently represents. Polling conducted in February showed Madison County Commissioner Dale Strong with a commanding lead over the other five Republicans competing to replace Brooks.
Arkansas
There's no need to bite your nails over Arkansas' gubernatorial primaries. A poll conducted in May by Talk Business & Politics and Hendrix College showed Sarah Huckabee Sanders — a White House press secretary under Trump and the daughter of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) — in the lead with 72.5 percent of the vote. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Jones led his five primary opponents by a similarly comfortable margin.
Sanders is heavily favored to defeat Jones in November, replacing term-limited Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R).
Incumbent Sen. John Boozman (R) is expected to skate through his primary and on to win a third term. Republicans also control all four of Arkansas' seats in the House of Representatives. All four lean heavily Republican, and all four incumbents are seeking reelection.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
'A direct, protracted war with Israel is not something Iran is equipped to fight'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - April 17, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - political anxiety, jury sorting hat, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published
-
Henry Kissinger dies aged 100: a complicated legacy?
Talking Point Top US diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner remembered as both foreign policy genius and war criminal
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Last updated
-
Trump’s rhetoric: a shift to 'straight-up Nazi talk'
Why everyone's talking about Would-be president's sinister language is backed by an incendiary policy agenda, say commentators
By The Week UK Published
-
More covfefe: is the world ready for a second Donald Trump presidency?
Today's Big Question Republican's re-election would be a 'nightmare' scenario for Europe, Ukraine and the West
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published