唐纳德·特朗普可能不会出席了上个月在亚特兰大记者俱乐部共和党美国参议院初选辩论中，但他的存在挤满了房间。
“我正在竞选美国参议院，这样我就可以去参议院，成为唐纳德·特朗普和他的‘美国第一’政策的战士，”他说美国(United States的缩写)众议员巴迪·卡特在他的开庭陈述。
当卡特的众议院同事和参议院对手初级，美国(United States的缩写)众议员迈克·柯林斯被问及共和党应该何去何从特朗普总统已经卸任了，柯林斯告诉主持人“我们需要继续唐纳德特朗普的‘美国第一’议程，”添加，“这是我跑步的原因之一。”
在中期周期中，特朗普的支持力量已经打倒现任者，拔毛获胜者来自拥挤的特别选举，并加注燃料党内支出战,总统还没有在共和党初选中支持一个候选人佐治亚州的美国参议院。
王牌的缺失背书在人种让卡特和柯林斯将他们的活动集中在获胜的超过特朗普的基础——甚至可能特朗普本人——因为他们都在争夺总统的支持这个州有望成为今年地图上竞争最激烈的州之一，可能会决定国会的权力平衡。
现任民主党参议员乔恩·奥索夫(Jon Ossoff)是2026年竞选连任的最脆弱的参议院民主党人之一周二的初选可能会决定谁将在11月与民主党内的新星正面交锋。
布莱恩·坎普两个任期佐治亚州共和党州长拒绝了竞选总统的要求参议院自己今年的位子，是配角也不议员先生。冠军已经改为扔了他的政治的重量落后于前大学橄榄球教练德里克·杜利，乔治亚大学传奇橄榄球教练文斯·杜利的儿子。
肯普的一名顾问告诉ABC新闻，肯普已经呼吁捐助者为杜利争取支持。肯普的PAC，勤劳的美国人公司，也在比赛中投入了数百万美元来帮助支持杜利他自己是一个“政治局外人”。
冠军与总统的关系不稳定他自己，在质疑特朗普在2020年大选中的选举欺诈指控后。然而，肯普在格鲁吉亚人中仍然很受欢迎，在2022年击败特朗普支持的初选挑战者赢得连任。
周二佐治亚州的初选将是对肯普的一次考验自己的政治权力在国家;即将离任的佐治亚州州长没有排除2028年总统竞选的可能性。
特朗普在佐治亚州影响力的真正考验将来在共和党初选中取代有期限的肯普作为州长，总统早期对现任副州长伯特·琼斯的支持失败了清理场地和代替搭建舞台与亿万富商进行一场激烈的初选在民意测验中与琼斯不相上下的里克·杰克逊。
但与佐治亚州国务卿布拉德·拉芬斯佩格和佐治亚州司法部长克里斯·卡尔不同——他们也参加了共和党州长初选，但对更传统的共和党选民有吸引力——杰克逊甚至不回避参加“让美国再次伟大”的竞选没有特朗普的支持。
杰克逊在州长初选辩论中说:“我是一个保守的局外人，也是一个希望为佐治亚州带来商业解决方案的商人，就像特朗普总统一样。”
特朗普本月早些时候为琼斯举办了一场电话集会，在那里他重申了对特朗普长期忠诚者的支持。
“有很多困惑。每个人的说我支持他们。我没有。我支持一个叫伯特·琼斯的人，“特朗普在电话中告诉支持者。
在过道的另一边，民主党州长候选人也在谈论特朗普——如何最好地对抗他的政策。
“与某些人不同，我竞选州长不是为了成为唐纳德·特朗普;前亚特兰大市长凯莎·兰斯·波顿斯在她的竞选活动的最新广告中说，哪个大声呼叫杰克逊和琼斯完毕他们的讨好特朗普。
臀部是得到了前总统乔·拜登的支持被广泛认为是民主党初选的领先者，但目前还不清楚她会遇到投票的避免径流的阈值。民主党反对者认为底部可以脸在潜力决选包括前迪卡尔布县首席执行官迈克尔·瑟蒙德、前共和党副州长杰夫·邓肯和前佐治亚州参议员杰森·埃斯特韦斯。
在乔治亚州，如果一名候选人没有收到50%在投票中，前两名将在6月16日进行决选。有这么多著名的竞选者年份，决赛更有可能是在过道两边，选票上下。
Trump isn’t on the ballot in Georgia, but he could decide Tuesday's races
Donald Trump might not havebeen in attendanceat the Atlanta Press Club Republican primary debate for U.S. Senate last month, but his presence filled the room.
“I am running for the United States Senate so that I can go to the Senate and be a warrior for Donald Trump and his ‘America First’ policies,” saidU.S.Rep. Buddy Carterinhis opening statement.
When Carter’s House colleague and opponent in the Senateprimary,U.S.Rep. Mike Collins, was asked about the direction in which the Republican Party should go oncePresident Trump is no longer in office, Collinstold the moderator “we need to continue DonaldTrump's ‘America First’ agenda,”adding,“it's one of the reasons that I ran.”
In a midterm cycle where Trump’s endorsement power hastaken down incumbents, pluckedwinners out ofcrowded special elections, and fueledintra-party spending wars,the president has not yet backed a candidate in the Republican primary forU.S. Senate in Georgia.
The absence of a Trumpendorsement in theracehas led both Carter and Collinsto focus their campaigns aroundwinningover Trump’s base – and maybe evenTrump himself – as they both vie for the president’s backingin what is expected to be one of the most competitive states on the map this year, one that could decide the balance of power in Congress.
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats up for re-election in 2026, andTuesday's primary could decide who goes head-to-head with the rising star in the Democratic Party in November.
Brian Kemp, thetwo-termRepublican governor of Georgia who turned down calls to run for theSenateseat himself this year, is supportingneithercongressman. Kemphas insteadthrown hispoliticalweightbehind former college football coach Derek Dooley,the son of legendary University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley.
Kemp has made calls to donors to rally support for Dooley, a Kemp advisor told ABC News. Kemp’s PAC, Hardworking Americans Inc., has also poured millions in the race to help support Dooley, who callshimself a “political outsider.”
Kemphas had a rocky relationship with the presidenthimself,after contesting Trump’s claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. However, Kemp remains popular among Georgians, winning reelection against a Trump-endorsed primary challenger in 2022.
Tuesday's primary races in Georgia will be a test of Kemp’sownpolitical powerin the state; the outgoing Georgia governor has not ruled out a potential 2028 presidential run.
The real test of Trump’s influence in Georgiawillcomein the Republican primary to replaceterm-limitedKemp as governor,where the president’s early endorsement of current Lt. Governor Burt Jones failed toclear the fieldandinsteadset the stagefor a competitive primary battle against billionaire businessmanRick Jackson, who is neck and neck with Jones in the polls.
But unlike Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr – who are also running in the Republican primary for governor but are making appeals to more traditional GOP voters – Jackson is not shying away from running in the “Make America Great Again” lane, evenwithout Trump’s backing.
“I'm a conservative outsider and a businessman that wants to bring business solutions to Georgia, just like President Trump did,” Jackson said at the primary debate for governor.
Trump hosted a tele-rally for Jones earlier this month, where he reiterated his endorsement for the longtime Trump loyalist.
“There's a lot of confusion.Everyone'ssaying I endorsed them. Ididn't. I endorsed a man named Burt Jones,” Trumptold supporters on the call.
On the other side of the aisle, the Democratic candidates for governor are also talking about Trump – in how best to fight his policies.
“Unlike some people, I'm not running for governor to be Donald Trump; I'm running to stand up to him,” said former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the latest ad from her campaign,whichcalls outJackson and Jones overtheircourting of Trump’s favor.
Bottomsisendorsed by former President Joe Biden and iswidely considered the frontrunner in the Democratic primary race, but it is unclear whethershe will meet the votethreshold to avoid a runoff.Democratic opponents that Bottoms couldfaceina potentialrunoff include former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, and former Georgia state Sen. Jason Esteves.
In Georgia,ifone candidate does not receive50%of the vote,the top two finishers will advance to a runoff election on June 16. And with so many well-known contenders for office thisyear,runoffsmay be more likely on both sides of the aisle, up and down the ballot.
