Matt Towery used his Monday appearance on Sean Hannity’s program to warn that Republican turnout in Georgia is a problem, after Democrats outvoted Republicans in the state’s May primary by 150,000 ballots. He said that kind of margin is not a good sign for the party heading toward the next round of races.
The numbers give the warning its weight. Georgia’s primary drew about 28 percent turnout, with more than 1.1 million Democratic ballots cast and about 941,000 Republican ballots. Towery called himself concerned, and he pointed to a state where the presidential vote went to Donald Trump in 2024 even as the political map remains closely divided.
That is why the comment landed now. Georgia Republicans are heading toward runoff elections for U.S. Senate and governor after no candidate cleared 50 percent in the primary, and the Senate contest is one of the most closely watched races of the 2026 cycle. Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is seeking reelection, while Republicans are trying to keep momentum in a state where Democrats hold both Senate seats and Republicans control the governor’s office.
Kemp echoed the sense of unease when he said he was “definitely concerned,” though he also noted that many voters are still undecided in the Senate race and in downballot contests. The split in the Republican field helps explain the stakes: Mike Collins led the Senate primary with 40.5 percent and Derek Dooley followed with 30.2 percent, sending both to a runoff, while Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones got about 39 percent in the governor’s race and businessman Rick Jackson took about 33 percent.
Towery’s broader argument was that Republicans cannot assume the state’s recent history will carry them through. He said he does not think enough of Trump’s achievements are being presented to the public, adding that voters mostly hear a barrage of criticism and “nothing but war.” The warning is sharper because it comes from a strategist who encouraged Trump to run in 2014 and whose polling correctly forecast his 2016 win.
For Georgia Republicans, the question now is whether the primary warning was a blip or an early sign of trouble. The runoffs will show whether the party can close the turnout gap before the 2026 Senate and governor races move into full campaign season, and whether Democrats can keep turning a low-key primary edge into something bigger.
