US Holds Primaries in 5 States and DC as November Control of Congress Looms

Q: Will an $83 million investment in Georgia's gubernatorial run-off set a new standard for campaign spending?

No. An $83 million investment in Georgia’s gubernatorial run-off is extraordinary, but it would not set a new national benchmark for campaign spending. What it does appear to do is reset expectations within Georgia. Reports tied to the race show Rick Jackson has poured more than $83 million of his own money into the contest, far outpacing Burt Jones’ roughly $19 million and making the Georgia Republican governor’s primary and run-off the most expensive in the state’s history. Some later tracking suggests Jackson’s total may have climbed even higher, with combined spending by both candidates well above $100 million. Nationally, however, larger gubernatorial spending records already exist. In California this cycle, Tom Steyer has spent or reserved well over $195 million on ads in the governor’s race, helping push that contest past $300 million overall. Earlier cycles also exceeded Georgia’s figure, including Illinois in 2022, New Jersey in 2025 and Florida in 2018. Meg Whitman’s 2010 California bid also remains one of the most expensive statewide campaigns ever. So the Georgia run-off is best understood as a state-level spending milestone, not a new national standard. It underscores how self-funded candidates can rapidly escalate the cost of a race, but it does not surpass the biggest gubernatorial spending examples already seen elsewhere.

3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 16

Polls open this week in Alabama, California, Georgia, Oklahoma and Washington, DC, launching primary and runoff contests that will shape November races for the Senate, House and key governorships.
Georgia and Alabama are drawing outsized attention because Trump endorsements could prove decisive in Republican runoffs, including Georgia's Senate contest and Alabama's race to replace Senator Tommy Tuberville.
California voters are also choosing candidates in a June 16 special primary for the 14th House District seat vacated by Eric Swalwell, with an August 18 special election to fill the seat through year-end.
Oklahoma's crowded race to replace term-limited Governor Kevin Stitt and Washington's Democratic mayoral primary add state-level tests, while DC's contest highlights Democratic splits and Trump's threat of a federal takeover.
The elections mark an early gauge of Trump's political strength and voter sentiment before November's midterms, which will determine control of Congress and test his second-term standing.