Billionaire Upsets Trump Pick, Oklahoma Denies Living Wage
Republican voters in Georgia rejected Donald Trump's endorsed candidate for governor on Tuesday, choosing billionaire Rick Jackson instead. In the same state, Trump-backed Mike Collins won the Senate primary and will face Democrat Jon Ossoff. Meanwhile, Oklahoma voters struck down a $15 minimum wage initiative, keeping the state's poverty wage of $7.25 unchanged since 2009.
What does Rick Jackson's victory over Burt Jones mean for Trump?
The American political landscape remains a battleground of capital and right-wing populism. In Georgia, voters delivered a stinging rebuke to Donald Trump by rejecting his pick for governor, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones. Businessman Rick Jackson secured the nomination, leading by five percentage points when the race was called.
Jackson's victory is not a win for the working class. It is a triumph of capitalist self-funding. He poured over $100 million into his campaign after launching it only in February. He branded himself a conservative outsider, leveraging a narrative of rising from poverty and foster care to become a billionaire college dropout. This follows a pattern of the ultra-wealthy buying political power, similar to the 2 June defeat of Trump-endorsed Representative Randy Feenstra by businessman Zach Lahn in Iowa.
Who is Mike Collins and why does his Senate race matter?
While Trump lost the governor's race, his Senate preference prevailed. Representative Mike Collins defeated former football coach Derek Dooley by double digits. Trump endorsed Collins just last week, labeling him