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2026 Georgia gubernatorial election
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 | Column 4 | Column 5 | Column 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 3, 2026 | |||||
| Party |
Republican
Democratic | | | | Republican | Democratic | | | | | | | | | Republican | Democratic | | | | | | Incumbent Governor Brian Kemp Republican | Incumbent Governor Brian Kemp Republican | | | | | | Incumbent Governor Brian Kemp Republican | | | | | |
The 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Georgia. Incumbent Republican governor Brian Kemp is ineligible to seek re-election to a third consecutive term. Primary elections are scheduled to be held on May 19, 2026, and in races where no candidate receives over 50% of the votes, runoff elections will take place on June 16.
Georgia is considered a swing state at the federal level, but the state has maintained a Republican lean at the state level, with Republicans holding all statewide executive offices in the 2022 midterms, where incumbent governor Brian Kemp was re-elected in a rematch against Democrat Stacey Abrams by a 7.5 percent margin. Republicans also control both the state senate and House of Representatives, together with Kemp's governorship establishing a government trifecta, alongside an all but one Republican pick on the state's supreme court. A year prior to the 2026 elections, the 2025 Georgia Public Service Commission special election resulted in two Democrats being elected to the Commission, both by landslide victories, and marking the first time that Democrats won any seats on the PSC since the 2000 elections or any statewide non-federal offices since the 2006 elections. Democrats have not won a gubernatorial election in Georgia since 1998.
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Chris Carr, attorney general of Georgia (2016–present)
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Clark Dean, real estate executive
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Rick Jackson, healthcare executive
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Burt Jones, lieutenant governor of Georgia (2023–present)
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Gregg Kirkpatrick, entrepreneur
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Brad Raffensperger, Georgia secretary of state (2019–present)
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Tom Williams, retired software engineer
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Ken Yasger, member of the Georgia Army National Guard
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Andrew Clyde, U.S. representative from Georgia's 9th congressional district (2021–present) (running for re-election)
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Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. representative from Georgia's 14th congressional district (2021–2026)
| Campaign finance reports as of April 30, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Carr (R) | $5,324,601 | $4,168,947 | $1,117,682 |
| Burt Jones (R)* | $4,408,079 | $18,035,637 | $3,350,140 |
| Brad Raffensperger (R)* | $1,102,127 | $4,570,050 | $2,532,076 |
| Rick Jackson (R) | $83,495,513 | $65,672,560 | $17,649,980 |
| Clark Dean (R) | $393,763 | $318,155 | $75,607 |
| Ken Yasger (R) | $5,791 | $946 | $4,845 |
Asterisk indicates loans or previous campaign account balances
Aggregate polls
| Source of pollaggregation | Datesadministered | Datesupdated | ChrisCarr | RickJackson | BurtJones | BradRaffensperger | Other/Undecided | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270toWin | April 29 - May 5, 2026 | May 11, 2026 | 7.2% | 28.3% | 24.8% | 14.0% | 25.7% | Jackson +3.5% |
| Decision Desk HQ | through May 2, 2026 | May 11, 2026 | 7.2% | 28.6% | 24.9% | 14.0% | 25.3% | Jackson +3.7% |
| RealClearPolitics | February 28 - May 2, 2026 | May 11, 2026 | 6.3% | 26.2% | 24.0% | 14.2% | 29.3% | Jackson +2.2% |
| Race to the WH | through May 2, 2026 | May 11, 2026 | 7.0% | 28.0% | 24.4% | 13.9% | 26.7% | Jackson +3.6% |
| Average | 6.9% | 27.8% | 24.5% | 14.0% | 26.8% | Jackson +3.3% |
| Poll source | Date(s)administered | Samplesize | Marginof error | ChrisCarr | RickJackson | BurtJones | BradRaffensperger | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantus Insights (R) | April 28 – May 2, 2026 | 1,677 (LV) | ± 2.7% | 8% | 27% | 22% | 14% | 15% | 14% |
| Remington Research Group (R) | April 28–29, 2026 | 815 (LV) | ± 3.3% | 5% | 29% | 28% | 14% | – | 24% |
| University of Georgia | April 18–26, 2026 | 1,000 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 3% | 27% | 25% | 14% | – | 31% |
| yes. every kid. | April 22–24, 2026 | 603 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 10% | 32% | 26% | 12% | 1% | 19% |
| Cygnal (R) | April 22–23, 2026 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 6% | 27% | 24% | 12% | 1% | 30% |
| InsiderAdvantage (R) | April 22–23, 2026 | 800 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 6% | 32% | 25% | 11% | 3% | 23% |
| JMC Analytics | March 7–8, 2026 | 560 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 4% | 37% | 22% | 11% | <1% | 25% |
| Emerson College | February 28 – March 2, 2026 | 453 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 6% | 20% | 21% | 11% | 4% | 38% |
| Quantus Insights (R) | February 17–18, 2026 | 1,337 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 5% | 33% | 17% | 8% | – | 37% |
| Rasmussen Reports (R) | February 11–12, 2026 | 1,022 (LV) | ± 3.0% | 10% | 22% | 16% | 18% | 34% | |
| co/efficient (R) | February 8–9, 2026 | 1,123 (LV) | ± 3.2% | 3% | 24% | 16% | 9% | 6% | 42% |
| Cygnal (R) | February 5–6, 2026 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 7% | 16% | 22% | 10% | – | 45% |
| February 3, 2026 | Jackson enters the race | ||||||||
| InsiderAdvantage (R)/Rosetta Stone (R) | December 18–19, 2025 | 1,000 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 9% | – | 24% | 14% | 4% | 49% |
| University of Georgia | October 15–23, 2025 | 1,000 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 7% | – | 22% | 15% | 1% | 55% |
| Quantus Insights (R) | October 13–14, 2025 | 900 (RV) | ± 3.2% | 12% | – | 32% | 15% | 3% | 38% |
| 20/20 Insight | September 25–28, 2023 | 245 (LV) | ± 6.3% | 9% | – | 18% | – | – | 73% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | |||
| Republican | |||
| Republican | |||
| Republican | |||
| Republican | |||
| Republican | |||
| Republican | |||
| Republican | |||
| 100.00 |
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Amanda Duffy, accountant
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Derrick Jackson, state representative (2017–2023, 2023–present) and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022
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Geoff Duncan, former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia (2019–2023)
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Jason Esteves, former state senator from the 35th district (2023–2025)
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Keisha Lance Bottoms, former director of the Office of Public Engagement (2022–2023) and former mayor of Atlanta (2018–2022)
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Mike Thurmond, former DeKalb County CEO (2017–2025), former Georgia Labor Commissioner (1999–2011), and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010
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Olujimi Brown, church founder
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Ruwa Romman, state representative from the 97th district (2023–present) (running for state senate)
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Jason Carter, former state senator from the 42nd district (2010–2015), grandson of former governor and president Jimmy Carter, and nominee for governor in 2014 (endorsed Esteves)
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Lucy McBath, U.S. representative from Georgia's 6th congressional district (2019–present)
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Stacey Abrams, former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives (2011–2017) and nominee for governor in 2018 and 2022
| Campaign finance reports as of April 30, 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) | $2,869,146 | $2,549,686 | $257,336 |
| Olujimi Brown (D) | $139,566 | $79,939 | $59,626 |
| Jason Esteves (D) | $2,907,598 | $2,067,240 | $773,461 |
| Derrick Jackson (D) | $128,504 | $206,723 | $83,780 |
| Mike Thurmond (D) | $883,112 | $929,503 | $421,132 |
| Geoff Duncan (D) | $1,739,846 | $1,328,597 | $867,783 |
Aggregate polls
| Source of pollaggregation | Datesadministered | Datesupdated | DerrickJackson | GeoffDuncan | JasonEsteves | Keisha LanceBottoms | MichaelThurmond | Undecided | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 270toWin | May 1-4, 2026 | May 5, 2026 | 1.0% | 8.0% | 6.5% | 45.5% | 13.0% | 26.0% | Bottoms +32.5% |
| Race to the WH | through April 29, 2026 | May 5, 2026 | 1.5% | 8.5% | 6.7% | 43.5% | 12.4% | 27.4% | Bottoms +31.1% |
| Average | 1.3% | 8.3% | 6.6% | 44.5% | 12.7% | 26.7% | Bottoms +31.8% |
| Poll source | Date(s)administered | Samplesize | Marginof error | GeoffDuncan | JasonEsteves | Keisha LanceBottoms | MichaelThurmond | Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia | April 23–29, 2026 | 1,000 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 7% | 8% | 39% | 10% | 1% | 35% |
| Concord Public Opinion Partners (D) | March 31 – April 10, 2026 | 437 (LV) | – | 8% | 6% | 42% | 12% | 3% | 29% |
| – | – | 56% | 22% | – | 22% | ||||
| 16% | – | 60% | – | – | 24% | ||||
| – | 16% | 60% | – | – | 24% | ||||
| 20/20 Insight | March 19–24, 2026 | 575 (LV) | ± 4.1% | 12% | 14% | 32% | 11% | – | 30% |
| Emerson College | February 28– March 2, 2026 | 464 (LV) | ± 4.5% | 13% | 4% | 35% | 7% | 3% | 39% |
| University of Georgia | October 13–21, 2025 | 1,000 (LV) | ± 3.1% | 5% | 3% | 40% | 11% | 2% | 39% |
| Frederick Polls (D) | September 23–25, 2025 | 1,513 (LV) | ± 2.5% | 17% | 10% | 43% | 25% | 4% | – |
| Public Policy Polling (D) | September 15–16, 2025 | 620 (LV) | – | 9% | 4% | 38% | 12% | 3% | 43% |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||
| Democratic | |||
| Democratic | |||
| Democratic | |||
| Democratic | |||
| Democratic | |||
| Democratic | |||
| 100.00 |
- Chase Oliver, former chair of the Atlanta Libertarian Party and perennial candidate
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report | Tossup | September 11, 2025 |
| Inside Elections | Tilt R | August 28, 2025 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Tossup | March 19, 2026 |
| Race to the WH | Tossup | May 12, 2026 |
Rick Jackson vs. Keisha Lance Bottoms
| Poll source | Date(s)administered | Samplesize | Marginof error | RickJackson (R) | Keisha LanceBottoms (D) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echelon Insights | April 3–9, 2026 | 407 (LV) | ± 6.5% | 43% | 49% | 8% |
Burt Jones vs. Keisha Lance Bottoms
| Poll source | Date(s)administered | Samplesize | Marginof error | BurtJones (R) | Keisha LanceBottoms (D) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echelon Insights | April 3–9, 2026 | 407 (LV) | ± 6.5% | 43% | 49% | 8% |
Brad Raffensperger vs. Keisha Lance Bottoms
| Poll source | Date(s)administered | Samplesize | Marginof error | BradRaffensperger (R) | Keisha LanceBottoms (D) | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echelon Insights | April 3–9, 2026 | 407 (LV) | ± 6.5% | 44% | 46% | 10% |
Partisan clients
- 2026 United States gubernatorial elections
- 2026 United States Senate election in Georgia
Official campaign websites
- Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) for Governor
- Olujimi Brown (D) for Governor
- Chris Carr (R) for Governor
- Clark Dean (R) for Governor
- Amanda Duffy (D) for Governor
- Geoff Duncan (D) for Governor
- Jason Esteves (D) for Governor
- Derrick Jackson (D) for Governor
- Rick Jackson (R) for Governor
- Burt Jones (R) for Governor
- Brad Raffensperger (R) for Governor
- Ruwa Romman (D) for Governor
- Mike Thurmond (D) for Governor
- Tom Williams (R) for Governor
- Ken Yasger (R) for Governor
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