Georgia voters are heading into one of the country’s most closely watched primary cycles, with competitive races for governor, one of its Senate seats, 13 House seats, and a series of legislative battles that could shape the state’s political direction for years.
The May 19 primaries come as Georgia remains one of the nation’s premier battleground states. Republicans still dominate statewide offices and the General Assembly, but Democrats have proven competitive in federal races, winning two Senate seats since 2020 and narrowing margins in suburban Atlanta.
The elections also arrive amid renewed national fights over redistricting and voting rights following recent Supreme Court rulings that loosened restrictions on congressional map-making.
Georgia’s runoff system adds another layer of uncertainty. Candidates must win a majority of votes to avoid a June 16 runoff, meaning several crowded primaries could stretch deeper into summer.
Voters are eligible to participate in Georgia’s primary elections regardless of party affiliation. Early voting began April 27 and will continue until May 15. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 19 for voters to cast their ballots.
Senate
The marquee federal contest is the reelection campaign of Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), whose seat is viewed as Republicans’ prime pickup opportunity.
Georgia is one of the only states where Democrats are defending a Senate seat in a state President Donald Trump flipped in 2024.
Cook Political Report initially rated the race a toss-up, but changed its label to “leans Democrat,” signaling the tide is turning in Ossoff’s favor.
Ossoff won’t face any challengers in the primary election, and started the midterm election season with over $25.5 million in cash on hand. At the end of March, his cash on hand jumped to $31.7 million, according to FEC filings.
The Republican primary field is far more complicated. Vying for the GOP candidacy are Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins, as well as former Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley and defense contractor Jonathan McColumn.
A clear GOP front-runner has yet to emerge, setting the stage for a messy runoff in June if one can’t clear 50% of the vote. Most polls put Collins in the lead, but Carter and Dooley are not far behind.
Ossoff’s wallet dwarfs those of his GOP competition, as Collins, Carter, and Dooley combined don’t even have half of their Democrat opponent’s cash on hand.
CPR analysis said that even if Republicans sort out the mess in the primary, “there’s little doubt that Ossoff currently has the advantage.”
Trump has yet to endorse a candidate in the primary, but his backing could move the needle for a GOP candidate.
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Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed Dooley, but Trump’s endorsement powers have proven successful. The president backed former district attorney Clay Fuller in a special election to replace former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, and Fuller won in a runoff.
House
Georgia’s congressional map is expected to remain largely favorable to Republicans in 2026. Exactly how favorable depends on whether Kemp moves forward with drawing a new map that would likely give the GOP additional seats, but the governor has not said whether he plans to pursue redistricting.
As the map is drawn now, most districts are relatively stable, labeled either “solid R” or “solid D” by CPR. But several House contests, particularly in metro Atlanta and the southwest region, could shape the state’s political direction ahead of November.
In Georgia’s 1st District, the race is open as Carter has his sights set on a Senate seat. The district that includes Savannah is rated solid Republican by CPR, and there is a wide field of candidates vying for the candidacy on both sides.
Republican Kandiss Taylor has filed to run for the seat, but her past political runs have led operatives to rule her out as a serious candidate.
Other GOP candidates include James Kingston, Patrick Farrell, Brian Montgomery, Krista Penn, and Eugene Yu. Kingston is leading on the fundraising front, with roughly $950,000 in cash on hand, according to FEC filings, and has the backing of Trump.
On the other side of the aisle, candidates looking to come out on top in the Democratic primary include Defonsio Daniels, Joyce Marie Griggs, Amanda Hollowell, Michael McCord, Joey Palimeno, Sharon Stokes Williamson, Patrick Wilver, and Randy Zurcher.
Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District is rated solid Democrat by CPR, and Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA) is seeking reelection.
Bishop stands on solid ground thanks to his influence as ranking member on several House committees focused on food and agriculture, and his district is known for peanut production, making him an “invaluable ally to the industry,” CPR said.
Rep. Brian Jack (R-GA) is seeking reelection in the 3rd Congressional District, one that is rated solid Republican by CPR. Jack is not likely to face trouble keeping his seat, as he previously served as Trump’s political director and has ties to influential organizations, positioning him for a November win in the deep-red district.
The same can be said of Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), who is running for reelection in the solid Democrat 4th District. Johnson has “no risk of losing a primary or general election,” CPR said.
Georgia’s 5th Congressional District, which includes Atlanta, is another safe seat for Democrats as Rep. Nikema Williams (D-GA) seeks reelection. Williams is the overwhelming favorite to win another term representing the Atlanta district, and faces only one primary competitor, Arnetress Beatty, who has never held public office, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Western Atlanta Suburbs, which comprises the 6th Congressional District, is also rated solid Democratic and is held by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA). McBath was eyeing a gubernatorial bid but chose to seek reelection and is likely to win in the primary and general elections, according to CPR.
Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) was looking to launch a Senate bid, but instead will seek reelection in Georgia’s 6th District, which is located north of Atlanta. The district is rated solid Republican, and despite McCormick receiving backlash for his staunch support of Trump politics, endorsing Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-GL) over Trump in 2024, and a public affair, the congressman faces no GOP challengers.
McCormick’s seat was flipped in 2020 when he lost to Carolyn Bourdeaux. An ugly clash with McBath and redistricting shifted the district to a friendlier GOP crowd, allowing McCormick to get his seat back, and he’s likely to keep it this cycle.
Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA) is running for reelection in Georgia’s solid Republican 8th Congressional District and faces no primary competitors, setting him up for a likely general election win.
Georgia’s 9th Congressional District is also rated solid Republican by CPR, but Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) faces stiff competition from a challenger.
Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon has already outraised Clyde ahead of the Republican primary, and his mayoral background could be worrying for Clyde. Redistricting shifted Clyde’s voter base from people who aligned with his gun-toting brand to residents who view guns and election denialism as abnormal.
The seat isn’t likely to flip, but it will give an indication of where the GOP voters are looking for the party to go.
Rep. Mike Collins’s run for Senate has left the race for Georgia’s 10th Congressional District open. Three Republicans and three Democrats are vying for the seat now, but only one has a Trump endorsement that could decide the victor.
Trump endorsed state Rep. Houston Gaines for Collins’s seat over GOP candidates Jeff Baker and Ryan Millsap. The Republican candidates have all significantly out fundraised any Democrats, and combined with the CPR rating of solid Republican, makes the seat unlikely to flip.
The Democrats running for Collins’s seat are retired Army nurse colonel Pamela DeLancy, former Collins challenger Lexy Doherty, and John Dority, who doesn’t have a campaign website.
In Georgia’s 12th Congressional District, Rep. Rick Allen is running for reelection. The district is rated solid Republican by CPR, and he is unlikely to lose his seat. Allen has not faced a “real race” since 2014 when he unseated the state’s last conservative Democrat in 2014.
Rep. David Scott was seeking reelection in the 13th District, but he died in late April. Scott’s death has left the race for the solid Democrat seat open. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution predicted the race will likely be decided in a runoff election on June 16.
Republican Jonathan James Chavez is the lone GOP candidate, and there are six Democrats running: Everton Blair Jr., state Rep. Jasmine Clark, state Sen. Emanuel Jones, Joe Lester, Heavenly Kimes, and Jeffree Fauntleroy Sr.
Georgia’s 14th Congressional District held a special election this year, which Fuller won.
Governor
With Kemp term-limited, Republicans are facing a crowded and potentially bruising primary for governor. The race has been rated a toss-up by CPR.
The GOP field includes Trump-back Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr. Healthcare executive Rick Jackson also entered the race late, adding another wild card to an already fragmented field.
The Republican primary reflects the broader divide inside the Georgia GOP between more traditional conservatives and candidates closely aligned with Trump’s political movement.
Jones has leaned heavily into Trump’s messaging, while Raffensperger continues to campaign on his national profile after resisting pressure to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election results. Carr has attempted to position himself as a traditional conservative focused on law-and-order issues.
Campaign finance reports show the race already becoming one of the most expensive gubernatorial primaries in Georgia history. Carr and Jones both reported multimillion-dollar fundraising hauls, while Raffensperger entered the cycle with significant leftover campaign funds from prior statewide races.
CPR reported from Georgia sources that the race is a toss-up between Jones and Jackson, setting the stage for an almost assured June 16 runoff.
Democrats view the open-seat contest as one of their better statewide opportunities in years, though the party still faces structural disadvantages in turnout during nonpresidential elections. Georgia Democrats hope for continued population growth in metro Atlanta, and gains among younger and minority voters could narrow the gap.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is dominating the Democratic field, polling ahead of her competitors, former DeKalb County Chief Executive Michael Thurmond, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, and former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.
While Bottoms is more than likely to secure the Democratic nomination, her chances of beating Jackson or Jones don’t seem likely.
State legislature
All 56 Georgia Senate seats and all 180 Georgia House seats are on the ballot, though Republicans remain favored to maintain control of both chambers.
Republicans control 99 seats in the state’s House and 33 seats in the Senate.
Democrats are focused heavily on suburban districts around Atlanta, where demographic changes have steadily eroded Republican margins over the last decade. Legislative Democrats believe continued shifts among college-educated suburban voters could make several seats competitive.
Democrats would need to gain 10 seats to gain control of the House and seven in the Senate, making it unlikely they’ll be able to accomplish both this election cycle.
Republicans, meanwhile, are defending their legislative majority while trying to maintain strong support in rural areas and outer-ring suburbs. The GOP also continues to benefit from district lines drawn after the 2020 census.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the state’s competitive House seats won’t heat up until November when Democrats and Republicans face off.
The Republican stronghold is tighter in the state Senate, with their biggest risk in the district that includes Fulton County, where GOP state Sen. Shawn Still is seeking reelection. Still has two Democrats looking to challenge him, one of whom, Laura Murvartian, has experience challenging state Rep. Scott Hilton.
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Judicial races are also drawing unusual attention this cycle, including contested Georgia Supreme Court elections that have become increasingly politicized as courts play larger roles in redistricting cases.
Five candidates are running for three seats on the state’s high court in a nonpartisan election. Of the candidates running, three are incumbents seeking to retain their seats.