Georgia Republicans are heading to the polls on Tuesday to decide the party's nominee for a pivotal U.S. Senate race, with President Donald Trump's endorsement facing a direct test against the influence of outgoing Governor Brian Kemp . The runoff election pits U.S. Representative Mike Collins against former football coach Derek Dooley, with the winner set to challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in November .

Representative Collins secured 40 percent of the vote in the May 19 primary, leading Dooley's 30 percent, but failed to win the nomination outright, forcing the current runoff . President Trump made a last-minute endorsement of Collins on Sunday, describing him on Truth Social as a "WARRIOR and WINNER" who has supported the president since the beginning . Collins has positioned himself as a staunch Trump ally, authoring the Laken Riley Act, an immigration enforcement measure that became the first bill Trump signed into law in his second term . The act requires that immigrants charged with certain crimes be held without bond .

Governor Kemp, by contrast, has thrown his weight behind Derek Dooley, a first-time candidate and former college football coach who is running as a political outsider . Kemp's endorsement stems from his close personal relationship with the Dooley family, as Dooley's father was a legendary University of Georgia football coach . The governor has argued that Dooley's outsider status is the best asset to defeat Jon Ossoff, a formidable incumbent Democrat who has raised over $60 million for his re-election campaign . Dooley has emphasized his newcomer status and political outsider appeal, stating that the Republican Party "has not won a Senate race in 10 years" and must learn from that experience .

The Republican primary for Georgia governor is also being decided on Tuesday, featuring another contentious runoff . Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who was part of Trump's alternate elector slate in 2020 and has the backing of both Trump and Kemp, is facing billionaire businessman Rick Jackson . Jackson has poured nearly $100 million of his own money into the race, campaigning as an outsider who can shake up Washington . The winner will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, in the general election .

Beyond Georgia, voters in Alabama, Oklahoma, and the District of Columbia are also casting ballots in primary elections . In Alabama, Republican Representative Barry Moore, who has Trump's endorsement, faces former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson in a runoff for the Senate seat being vacated by Tommy Tuberville . In Oklahoma, Trump-backed Representative Kevin Hern is competing in a crowded Republican primary for an open Senate seat .

In Washington, D.C., the mayoral primary has drawn national attention, with Democratic voters choosing between progressive Council member Janeese Lewis George and moderate former Council member Kenyan McDuffie to succeed Mayor Muriel Bowser . President Trump has weighed in on the race, stating he would not support a Lewis George victory and suggesting the federal government could intervene . The primary results across these states will set the stage for critical general elections in November, where control of Congress and statehouses are on the line.