Rep. 'MAGA Mo' Brooks loses to Trump-backed Katie Britt in Alabama GOP Senate primary

(Image credit: Andi Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

published 22 June 2022

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), a founder of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and one of former President Donald Trump staunchest congressional supporters, lost Alabama's Republican Senate primary on Tuesday to first-time candidate Katie Britt, a former chief of staff to outgoing Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.). The Brooks-Britt runoff was the highest profile race in Tuesday's primaries in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Trump initially backed Brooks in the race but rescinded his endorsement in March and endorsed Britt 11 days before Tuesday's runoff election, after she had emerged as the clear frontrunner. Britt, 40, also had the endorsement and financial backing of Shelby and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and their political action committees. She is expected to beat Democratic nominee Will Boyd in the fall.

Brooks, 68, was the initial favorite to win the race, but when his campaign faltered and Britt's took off, Trump pulled his endorsement, accusing the ultra-conservative Brooks of going "woke" for suggesting it's time to move on from Trump's 2020 election loss.

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Brooks still ran under the banner "MAGA Mo" and tried to get Trump's endorsement back in late May after narrowly earning a spot in the runoff election, The Associated Press reports. He told an AL.com columnist last week "it's quite clear that Donald Trump has no loyalty to anyone or anything but himself." On Tuesday, he suggested Britt is insufficiently conservative. "Congratulations to the Democrats — they now have two nominees in the general election," he said.

Trump-backed candidates Vernon Jordan and Jake Evans lost their primary races for a pair of House seats in Georgia, extending the former president's losing streak in the crucial swing state. Jordan, a former Democrat, lost to trucking company owner Mike Collins in Georgia's 10th Congressional District, while Evans was beaten by emergency room doctor Rich McCormick in the 6th District.

In other notable races, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser beat a pair of challengers in the district's Democratic primary, making her very likely to win reelection in November. Virginia GOP primary voters picked Navy veteran Jen Kiggans to take on Navy veteran Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.) in the 2nd Congressional District, home to a major naval station, and chose Prince Williams County Supervisor Yesli Bega to challenge Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) in Virginia's 7th District.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.