With Georgia runoffs and Alabama runoffs on June 16, turnout—and which voters return—could decide closely watched Republican and Democratic contests, from Senate and House races to the state’s governor’s matchup.
No one knows until the last ballot is counted whether the momentum from May’s crowded primaries will survive the drive to the polls again in mid-June.
In Georgia and Alabama, candidates who advanced out of their May primary races without crossing the 50% threshold will face off again on June 16. The winners will move on to the November ballot as President Donald Trump and the GOP try to protect a narrow majority on Capitol Hill.
The question hanging over the Peach State and beyond is whether voters show up in the same numbers this time. Enrijeta Shino, assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama, said turnout is the factor to watch most—especially in a low-turnout, mid-June election.
“What I’d watch most is turnout,” Shino said. “The real questions are which voters return, and which candidates’ supporters return in greater numbers, in a low-turnout, mid-June election.”
Georgia’s runoff slate shows how much is at stake when turnout decides the winner, even after primary results already narrowed the field.
Georgia and Alabama are among the states holding June 16 elections. Alabama has House and Senate runoffs. California has a special House election to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell. Washington, D.C., will hold a mayoral primary. Oklahoma will hold House, Senate, and governor primaries. Georgia will conduct House, Senate, and governor runoffs.
In Georgia, two Republicans and two Democratic contests are headed for June 16, and the general-election implications are immediate.
Two Republicans face off in Georgia’s GOP Senate runoff
In Georgia’s June GOP Senate runoff, Rep. Mike Collins will face college football coach Derek Dooley after neither won a majority in the May 19 primary.
Collins received 40.5% of the vote, while Dooley garnered 30.2%.
Dooley’s bid picked up momentum in part thanks to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. Kemp’s political action committee has funneled millions of dollars into the Dooley campaign, according to reports.
Still, the race saw another late shakeup when Trump weighed in just days before the election. Trump endorsed Collins in a late-night Truth Social post. In that post, Trump called Collins a MAGA “warrior” and resurfaced arguments over voting legitimacy in Georgia.
Polling has shown Collins and Dooley are locked in a tight race, and the winner will face incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Georgia’s House runoff: two Democrats advance
On the House side in Georgia’s 1st Congressional District, Democrats Joyce Griggs and Amanda Hollowell advanced to a runoff after neither won a majority on May 19.
Griggs received 34.5% of the vote, while Hollowell received 24.7%.
Whoever wins the runoff will face Republican Jim Kingston in the race to replace Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter, who did not seek reelection to run for Senate.
Georgia’s gubernatorial primary also heads to a runoff
Georgia’s gubernatorial primary is set for June 16 as well. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare CEO Rick Jackson secured the most votes during the May 19 midterm primary but failed to reach a majority.
Jones has Trump’s endorsement. The winner will face the Democratic nominee, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, in the general election.
A rule change that could matter for turnout
Shino said something else could shape who shows up to vote in June: in Georgia and Alabama, voters cannot switch from the party they voted for in the first round in May.
But she added that people who haven’t yet voted in either state’s May primary have different options. “Whichever party’s ballot you chose in May, that’s the party you’re tied to on June 16,” Shino said.
“However, anyone who didn’t vote in the May primary is free to pick either runoff. It’s a rule that may surprise people voting in a runoff for the first time.”
Alabama’s runoffs and the mechanics of voting
In Alabama, voters are also facing runoff elections tied to November outcomes.
Alabama is looking to replace Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for governor. The Republican primary resulted in a runoff between U.S. Rep Barry Moore and Jared Hudson after Moore and Hudson each failed to earn over 50% of the votes in the May 19 primary.
Moore received 39.2% of the vote and Hudson received 25.6%.
Moore has Trump’s endorsement and has served in Congress since 2025. Hudson is a former U.S. Navy SEAL.
Shino said the question of getting voters physically to polls is particularly significant in Alabama. Unlike Georgia, Alabama does not permit early, in-person voting, and requesting a mail ballot for the runoff requires a state-approved excuse.
“Most Alabamians have to vote in person on June 16,” she said. “With only weeks between the primary and the runoff, these election rules significantly affect who will show up to vote again.”
Alabama’s Democratic Senate runoff will also be contested after Everett Wess received 39.6% of the vote and Dakarai Larriett received 29.1% in the May 19 primary—both falling short of the 50% threshold.
The Alabama House primary that led to a runoff
Alabama’s 5th District House primary also went to a runoff. The contest is between Democrats Andrew Sneed, who received 42% of the vote, and Candice Duvieilh, who received 35.7%.
The winner will face incumbent Republican Rep. Dale Strong, who won the May 19 race uncontested.
More primary elections were still underway in Alabama
Primaries aren’t done after May 19 either. Voters in some Alabama districts cast ballots in primaries for U.S. House on Tuesday, May 19. The voting followed the state’s redistricting push to pass a new map favoring Republicans.
Only Alabama congressional Districts 3, 4 and 5 held primaries on May 19. Districts 1, 2, 6 and 7 will hold their respective primaries on Aug. 11.
Oklahoma Democrats looking to flip a seat
Outside Georgia and Alabama, the schedule also includes other races for June 16. In Oklahoma’s 5th congressional district, two Democrats are seeking the nomination to unseat Rep. Stephanie Bice.
The candidates are Trey Martin, an ironworker and union leader endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Jena Nelson, a former educator and Oklahoma Teacher of the Year in 2020.
Whoever wins will face Bice, who has served on Capitol Hill since 2021 and faced no challenges, advancing to the general election.
In a cycle loaded with high-stakes contests, June 16 is where the math can change quickly. Primary voters already chose sides once. Now the test is whether they return—especially when the calendar is tight and the rules for voting. particularly in Alabama. can narrow who actually makes it to the ballot box.
June 16 runoff turnout Georgia Senate Collins Dooley Ossoff Griggs Hollowell governor Jones Jackson Bottoms Alabama Moore Hudson Wess Larriett Sneed Duvieilh Oklahoma 5th district Martin Nelson Bice