As early voting starts in Georgia’s governor race, businessman Rick Jackson is holding his edge over fellow frontrunner Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the latest GOP primary poll.
An InsiderAdvantage survey from late April has Jackson at 32% support among likely GOP primary voters. After Jackson, 25% of the 800 respondents said they would support Jones, and 11% said they’d back Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr polled at 6%, while 23% of respondents were undecided.
“In the race for governor Rick Jackson enjoys a lead, particularly among female and senior voters. But Burt Jones is in a solid second place, enjoying support from younger voters. Brad Raffensperger and Chris Carr are basically splitting the male and female metro voters who might be less inclined to support President [Donald] Trump,” InsiderAdvantage pollster Matt Towery said.
Jackson took the lead over Jones in an early February poll from co/efficient released about one week after he entered the race. Jackson, the self-funded CEO of Jackson Healthcare, and Jones, whom President Donald Trump endorsed, have been battling for the Republican Party’s MAGA base since Jackson threw his name in the ring in February.
In early March, an Emerson College poll had Jones leading Jackson by 1 percentage point, 21% to 20%. The InsiderAdvantage poll released Friday brings Jackson back into the lead.
Early voting in the Peach State began Monday and will continue through May 15. The primary election will be held May 19. If Raffensperger and Carr make a big enough dent in the general primary, the runoff would be scheduled for June 16.
GEORGIA DEMOCRATS LAUNCH WAR ROOM FOR GOVERNOR’S RACE TO HOLD GOP ‘ACCOUNTABLE’
On the Democratic side of the ballot, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is leading the pack, according to polling, with former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, and former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond trailing behind her.
Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) has not made an endorsement in the gubernatorial primary, though he has endorsed former football coach Derek Dooley in the state’s GOP primary Senate race. Kemp defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams in both of his gubernatorial campaigns, first in 2018 and again in 2022.