The Georgia primary produced more questions than answers, leaving several major contests headed to runoffs while offering a few clear winners and clear losers; this piece walks through the governor, secretary of state, Senate, House, and state Supreme Court outcomes and what they imply for the June 16 runoff and the general election cycle.

Georgia Primary Overview: It’s Runoff Central With a Few Bright Lights

Voters sent mixed signals across the state, handing the GOP victories in some down-ballot races while leaving the biggest prize fights unsettled. The governor’s contest, secretary of state race, and the Republican U.S. Senate contest all moved to runoffs, setting up a high-stakes June 16 showdown. Local dynamics and national themes collided, and the results reflect a party still sorting internal divisions and outside influence.

In the governor’s primary, former Trump-backed Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and healthcare executive Rick Jackson emerged as the top two, advancing to a runoff. That outcome marks a victory for the faction aligned with former President Trump while sidelining other hopefuls who failed to gain traction. Term-limited Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, whose handling of the 2020 election drew sharp criticism from many Republican voters, finished with under 15 percent and was decisively rejected at the ballot box.

The secretary of state contest also failed to produce a majority winner, and the race now heads to a runoff between state Representative Tim Fleming and Vernon Jones. The campaign has been shaped by lingering 2020 election controversies and competing narratives about election integrity and administration. Voters appear motivated by different priorities: some want a hardline stance on alleged irregularities, others a steady hand who can defend Georgia’s systems from outside attacks.

The Republican and Democratic primaries to become Georgia’s next secretary of state is going to a runoff, CBS News projects.

With no one receiving more than 50% of the vote, Republican state Rep. Tim Fleming and Vernon Jones will face off against each other in June.

Out of the race is Gabriel Sterling, one of current Secretary of State Brad Raffenberger’s top aides and the only candidate who actively defended the state’s 2020 election result.

Fleming has said he believes there were some “irregularities” in 2020, but that “great strides” have been made to address the issues.

Jones, who was elected as a state representative and DeKalb County CEO as a Democrat and then switched parties to become a Republican , is considered a harsh critic of the way the state ran the election, which saw former President Biden narrowly defeat President Trump.

On the U.S. Senate side, the Republican field consolidated into a runoff between Rep. Mike Collins and former college coach Derek Dooley, according to Decision Desk HQ projections. Both candidates represent different wings of the GOP, with Collins coming from a congressional incumbency and Dooley drawing on name recognition and outsider appeal. The winner will face Senator Jon Ossoff in the general election, and the way the runoff unfolds will shape messaging and resource allocation for both parties.

The congressional map in Georgia produced a number of uncontested primaries, allowing some incumbents to sail into November without a primary test. Several open seats drew crowded fields, however, producing competitive primaries that will either be decided in runoffs or already sent a candidate forward. In GA-10, the replacement nomination moved toward the general; elsewhere, open seats such as GA-1 and GA-11 generated contested GOP battles that revealed local priorities and the power of endorsements.

State Supreme Court races drew intense attention and partisan energy even though the contests are nonpartisan in name. Democratic activists targeted incumbent judges in a bid to shift the balance ahead of possible redistricting fights and in response to recent U.S. Supreme Court limits on race in districting. The effort was framed as preemptive court packing to blunt conservative-leaning decisions, and the campaigns became proxy battles over how courts will handle future redistricting cases.

Incumbent Judge Sarah Warren Hawkins faced attorney Jen Jordan, who had the backing of Democratic operatives, and Decision Desk HQ projected Hawkins retained her seat. The contest between incumbent Charles Bethel and Miracle Rankin was close, but projections favored Bethel holding his position. These judicial outcomes matter because they influence how state law on elections and districts may be interpreted in the months ahead.

With the runoff date set for June 16, campaigns will sharpen their arguments, prioritize turnout, and court the coalition of voters who decided races but not winners. For Republicans, the primary results reflect both the lingering influence of 2020-related debates and a steady appetite for candidates who emphasize election integrity. For the broader electorate, the coming runoff will be a test of candidate organization, outside spending, and whether statewide GOP voters unite behind a single vision heading into November.