Businessman Mike Collins has bested former Georgia state Rep. Vernon Jones in Tuesday’s Republican primary runoff for the 10th Congressional District, according to Newsmax election partner Decision Desk HQ.
Collins is leading Jones as of 8:45 p.m. Eastern time by a whopping 52-point margin, 76% to 24%, with 55% of precincts reporting, according to The New York Times.
Jones had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump after leaving the Georgia gubernatorial election and is a well-known figure to Republican voters. He has appeared on TV regularly after changing his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and has become a staunch advocate for Black Republicans.
Collins received the endorsement of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp last week, spending a large portion of his campaign attacking Jones for his past, specifically in regard to women. He also frequently pointed out Jones’ past as a Democrat.
The victory of Collins, who postured himself as a staunch conservative despite not having Trump’s support, serves as another loss for the former president in Georgia, The Hill noted.
Other Trump-backed Georgia candidates in 2022, including former Sen. David Perdue, who ran for governor, and Rep. Jody Hice, who ran for attorney general, lost their respective primaries last month.
Nevertheless, the Trump endorsement still appears to hold sway nationwide. Last Tuesday, Trump-backed candidates Adam Laxalt and Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo in Nevada and House hopeful Kevin Kiley in California won their primary races easily.
Via Newsmax