McCormick defeats Trump-backed Evans in Georgia GOP House primary

Emergency room doctor Rich McCormick is projected to defeat attorney Jake Evans on Tuesday in the GOP primary runoff in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, dealing the latest blow to former President Trump’s endorsing power in the Peach State.

The Associated Press called the race at 8:24 p.m. ET.

McCormick finished on top in a May 24 primary, beating Evans by a 20-point margin. Still, he fell short of the majority support he needed to win the nomination outright, throwing both him and Evans into a head-to-head runoff.

The runoff between Evans and McCormick centered on the pair’s Republican credentials, with both men attacking one another as insufficiently conservative. 

McCormick’s victory on Tuesday is only the latest upset for Trump in Georgia. 

The former president saw several of his endorsed candidates come up short in last month’s primaries, including former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) who was defeated by incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R), one of Trump’s top Republican targets.

Georgia’s 6th Congressional District in Atlanta’s northern suburbs was redrawn last year to give Republicans a major advantage. McCormick will face off against Democrat Bob Christian in November, though McCormick is heavily favored to win.