Billionaire businessman Rick Jackson invested nearly $100 million of his personal wealth into the Georgia governor's runoff election, declaring his fortune to be "God's money" that he directs "the best I can." Jackson's self-funding effort in the May 19 primary and subsequent runoff highlights the direct deployment of accumulated capital to secure political power in the current electoral system.
In Oklahoma, a similar pattern of capital funding political campaigns emerged. Nearly 72% of the $31.4 million raised by the four leading Republican candidates for governor came from their own pockets, totaling $22.5 million. Mike Mazzei, a former state Senator, contributed $10.9 million, representing nearly 95% of his total $11.5 million raised. Former Oklahoma House Speaker Charles McCall funded 76% of his campaign with $5.6 million of his own money, while Chip Keating, the state's former public safety director, contributed $3.5 million, or 66% of his $5.3 million. Attorney General Gentner Drummond put in $2.5 million, accounting for 35% of his $7.2 million.
Capital's Investment in Political Power
President Donald Trump's endorsements further concentrated power within these contests. In Georgia, Trump-backed Rep. Mike Collins, a trucking company owner, won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Collins, who first won his House seat in 2022, campaigned as a "MAGA warrior" and received Trump's endorsement three days ago. He will face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in November for a seat that will help determine control of the Senate. In the Georgia governor runoff, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who had Trump's backing, faced Jackson. Jones was part of Trump's attempt to overturn his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden, with Trump praising Jones's loyalty.
Trump's influence also extended to Alabama, where U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, a three-term congressman, received Trump's early endorsement for the state's open Senate seat. In Oklahoma, Trump-backed Rep. Kevin Hern, a four-term congressman, secured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, with Trump's support keeping potential rivals out of the race. Trump also endorsed former state Sen. Mike Mazzei in the crowded Oklahoma governor's race.
The State as Enforcer
The role of the state in protecting accumulated wealth and suppressing challenges was evident in Washington, D.C., where Trump threatened a new federal takeover of the city about one week ago. He stated, "Maybe we'd take back Washington, run it on the federal basis," when asked about a potential victory by Democratic front-runner Janeese Lewis George. Lewis George identified her top priority as addressing "the affordability crisis here in DC, which the Trump administration has only made worse by unjustly firing federal employees en masse and militarizing our streets." Fran Tatu, 69, also noted the "surge of federal officers by Trump and all of the troops that are here."
In the Georgia secretary of state race, candidates focused on election management, reflecting the state's role in controlling electoral mechanisms. Vernon Jones, who switched parties to align with Trump, stated his belief in "irregularities" and "violations" and stood "with those who believe there was election fraud." His platform included stronger voter identification rules and requiring voting in person. Opponent Tim Fleming also cited "irregularities" in 2020 and included a platform point to "make it impossible for the Left to cheat in our elections."
The Laken Riley Act, sponsored by Collins, requires immigrants charged with certain crimes to be held without bond. Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff initially voted against a version of the act but backed it after Trump returned to power, demonstrating how even reform efforts can align with state enforcement of immigration controls. Retired software engineer James Haddad, a legal immigrant, backed Collins due to his hardline immigration approach, stating, "It's unfortunate that some immigrants have ruined it for others."
Workers Bear the Cost
While capital flowed into political campaigns, the struggles of the working class and dispossessed were also present. Jackson, despite his vast wealth, claimed to have "lived in poverty" and said, "When you, when you have not eaten, you never forget that you don't forget the people that are struggling." However, he also advocated for the deportation of migrants in Georgia illegally who commit crimes. Hope Solomon, a former federal contractor, lost her job due to cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency, illustrating the precarity faced by federal employees. In California, Democratic candidates Aisha Wahab and Melissa Hernandez focused on housing costs, consumer protections, and expanding access to healthcare and childcare, offering reforms within the existing economic framework rather than challenging its foundations. Kenyan McDuffie, a Democratic front-runner for D.C. mayor, prioritized public safety and proposed adding 1,000 police officers over four years, alongside a public health approach to violence reduction focusing on mental health, without directly addressing the structural causes of the affordability crisis. Fran Tatu, 69, supported Lewis George, noting her history of being "in the streets with us activating, getting out there, with us in the movements standing up for the rights for all," pointing to the ongoing, if limited, efforts of organized resistance within the system.