Posted June 17, 2026 | by KimS | in 2026 Elections, DemDaily, Democratic Party, Gubernatorial, House, Primaries, Redistricting, Senate, Special Elections

DemDaily: Tuesday’s Election Results! GA, DC, AL, OK

June 17, 2026

Voters in Georgia, the District of Columbia, Alabama and Oklahoma went to the polls yesterday to elect their nominees for the 2026 midterm elections.

GEORGIA
US Senate: In the key presidential battleground where Democrats' most vulnerable incumbent, Senator Jon Ossoff, is up for re-election, Congressman Mike Collins (CD-10) has defeated former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, 55.5%-44.5%, in the Republican primary runoff.

The general election matchup between Ossoff and Collins, a Trump-endorsed election denier and hardline conservative, is expected to be a bruising and expensive contest as one of the GOP's top targets.

Governor: In the open seat to succeed term-limited Republican Governor Brian Kemp, billionaire healthcare CEO and political newcomer Rick Jackson (52.6%), who self-funded $100 million of his primary race, defeated Trump-endorsed Lt. Governor Burt Jones (47.4%).

It is a blow to Trump, who endorsed Jones in August 2025, and Kemp, who made a last-minute endorsement of Jones on Sunday. Jackson will face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who handily won the May 19 Democratic nomination with 56.2% in the nationally rated "toss-up" seat.

Lt. Governor: In the race to succeed Jones, both Democratic and Republican primaries went to runoffs. State Senator Josh McLauren secured the Democratic nomination with 54.9%, to face pro-Trump State Senator Greg Dolezal (54.2%), who defeated fellow conservative and former State Senator John Kennedy (45.8%).

Secretary of State: In the contest to succeed Republican incumbent Brad Raffensperger, who waged an unsuccessful campaign for the gubernatorial nomination, State Representative and former Kemp Deputy Secretary of State Tim Fleming (64.5%) defeated former State Representative and former DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones (35.5%) to win the Republican nomination.

The defeat of Vernon, a former Democrat who switched parties to endorse Donald Trump in 2020, and who campaigned as an outright election denier, is another disappointment for the president and viewed by some as an indirect rebuke of his election claims in the state.

Fleming will face former State Court Judge and former Department of Agriculture Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Penny Brown Reynolds, who won the Democratic nomination with 63.1% of the vote.

In a surprise announcement Wednesday, Republican lawmakers announced they will not redraw Georgia’s political maps. Citing the Supreme Court's April 29 decision that gutted protections of minority districts under the Voting Rights Act, GOP Governor Brian Kemp called a special session this week to redraw the Peach State's congressional map to the advantage of Republicans. Over Kemp and Trump's objections, GOP House Speaker Jon Burns and leadership scrapped the redistricting plans, citing an "unfeasible timeline" with the 2026 elections already underway, and "a commitment to transparency and public input." To redraw maps next year in advance of the 2028 presidential election, Republicans will need to maintain full control of state government after this year’s midterms.

In a surprise announcement Wednesday, Republican lawmakers announced they will not redraw Georgia’s political maps. Citing the Supreme Court's April 29 decision that gutted protections of minority districts under the Voting Rights Act, GOP Governor Brian Kemp called a special session this week to redraw the Peach State's congressional map to the advantage of Republicans. Over Kemp and Trump's objections, GOP House Speaker Jon Burns and leadership scrapped the redistricting plans, citing an "unfeasible timeline" with the 2026 elections already underway, and "a commitment to transparency and public input." To redraw maps next year in advance of the 2028 presidential election, Republicans will need to maintain full control of state government after this year’s midterms.

US House: Of Georgia's 14 congressional districts, nine are held by Republicans and five by Democrats, including one vacancy. A July 28 special election is scheduled to fill the open 13th Congressional District held for 23 years by Democrat David Scott, who passed away in April.

CD-1 (Open/Carter): Amanda Hollowell, who serves as Chief of Campaigns for racial justice nonprofit Color of Change, defeated Joyce Marie Griggs 53%-47% to win the Democratic nomination. She will face insurance salesman Jim Kingston (R), the son of former congressman Jack Kingston, in the general election.

CD-7: Combat Navy pilot and attorney Tony Kozycki swept the Democratic Primary runoff with 67.7% to take on freshman Republican Rich McCormick.

CD-11: (Open/Loudermilk): Northwest Georgia neurosurgeon John Cowan won the GOP nomination with 65%. He faces Democratic candidate and defense attorney Chris Harden in November.

CD-12: Army veteran, former Grovetown City Council member and AFGE labor leader Ceretta Smith won the Democratic nomination with 55.8% of the vote to challenge six-term incumbent Republican Rick Allen.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
With the decision of three-term Mayor Muriel Bowser not to seek reelection, and the retirement of 18-term Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, yesterday's elections paved the way for a new era in the leadership and political landscape of the District.

Mayor: In the first round of ranked-choice voting, Ward 4 City Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George leads primary rival former City Council Member at-Large Kenyan McDuffie by double digits, 52.9%-36.4%. Five other contenders came in under 3.2%.

Certification of primary results will not occur until all mail-in, provisional, or late-arriving ballots are tabulated and verified. Round-by-round results will be available June 21, and election officials will certify the results no later than July 6.

For the first time, DC is using a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) electoral system in which voters rank up to five candidates in order of their preference on their ballots. If no candidate wins 50%+ in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. The votes of the eliminated candidate are then reallocated to the second choice of the last-place finisher's voters. The process is repeated until one candidate surpasses the majority threshold. If a candidate surpasses 50% in the first round, she will not be declared the winner until all outstanding ballots are counted. If the standings change, the RCV elimination process may be triggered.

For the first time, DC is using a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) electoral system in which voters rank up to five candidates in order of their preference on their ballots. If no candidate wins 50%+ in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. The votes of the eliminated candidate are then reallocated to the second choice of the last-place finisher's voters. The process is repeated until one candidate surpasses the majority threshold. If a candidate surpasses 50% in the first round, she will not be declared the winner until all outstanding ballots are counted. If the standings change, the RCV elimination process may be triggered.

Delegate
DC residents voted for at-Large Councilmember Robert White Jr. by a resounding 62.9%-21.6% over primary opponent and Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto in the first round of voting. The 41-point spread was unexpected in a race where the two contenders collectively spent over $3.3 million in the city's most expensive race to date.

Kinney Zalesne secured 7.8%, Trent Holbrook 4.5% and Greg Jaczko 2.8%.

At-Large City Council Democratic Primary Election
In the uncalled election to succeed retiring Councilmember Anita Bonds, current US House Shadow Representative Oye Owolewa prevailed in the first round of voting with 33.9%, followed by Lisa Raymond with 15.4%, Kevin B. Chavous with 13.7%, Greg Jackson at 10.9%, and the remaining five candidates under 7.7%.

Special At-Large City Council Election
In the special election to elect a council member to serve out the remainder of Kenyan McDuffie’s at-large seat through November 2026, former council member Elissa Silverman (54.9%) had a solid lead over Donni Crawford 25%) and Jacque Patterson (18.9%) in the first round.

ALABAMA
US Senate: In the Republican primary runoff to replace conservative Senator Tommy Tuberville, First District Congressman Barry Moore (55.8%), whom Trump endorsed, defeated former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson (44.2%). He faces attorney Everett Wess, who defeated Dakarai Larriett 54.6%-45.4% in the Democratic runoff.

Lt. Governor: former Alabama Republican Party Chair John Wahl and Phillip Ensler (D) won their primary runoffs to advance to the general election.

OKLAHOMA
US Senate: In the race to fill the former seat of Senator Markwayne Mullin, who resigned to become Secretary of Homeland Security, Trump-endorsed Congressman Kevin Hern (CD-1) prevailed over four other candidates to win the Republican nomination with 69.8% of the vote.

Hern will face the winner of the August 25 Democratic primary runoff between N’Kiyla Jasmine Thomas (45.2%) and Jim Priest (23.9%).

Governor: Attorney General Gentner Drummond (26.6%) and former State Senator Mike Mazze (25.97%), who has Trump's endorsement, advance to a high-profile runoff in August. The winner will face State Representative Cyndi Munson, who won the Democratic primary with 74.9%.
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