Georgia's May 19 primary features contentious Republican races for Senate and an open governor's seat, the latter becoming the state's most expensive primary ever with over $100M in candidate self-funding. A record one million early voters cast ballots, with Democrats showing a 15-point turnout advantage. The elections also include two key state Supreme Court races and will be followed by a special session on redistricting.
Georgia primary election results
- ▪Georgia's primary elections on May 19, 2026, are defined by contentious Republican races and record Democratic turnout
- ▪Many of the top races, including for governor and Senate, are expected to proceed to a June 16, 2026 runoff
- ▪Republican Governor Brian Kemp is term-limited and cannot run for re-election, creating an open race for governor
- ▪The Democratic gubernatorial primary includes candidates Keisha Lance Bottoms, Jason Esteves, and former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan
Republican Senate primary contest
- ▪Senator Jon Ossoff is considered the most vulnerable incumbent Democrat on the ballot in the 2026 fall elections
- ▪Derek Dooley has the endorsement of Governor Brian Kemp in the Republican Senate primary
- ▪The frontrunner in the Republican Senate primary is Rep. Mike Collins, with other candidates including Derek Dooley and Rep. Buddy Carter
- ▪The Republican primary will determine who faces incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff in the November election
Republican gubernatorial primary race
- ▪Gubernatorial candidate Burt Jones, heir to a convenience store empire, has loaned his own campaign nearly $20 million
- ▪In the Republican gubernatorial primary, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has an endorsement from former President Donald Trump
- ▪Billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson entered the governor's race and has spent over $80 million of his own money
- ▪The spending by self-funding candidates has made the 2026 gubernatorial primary the most expensive in Georgia's history
Democratic turnout surge
- ▪In the November 2025 general election, two Democratic challengers won seats on Georgia's Public Service Commission
- ▪A surge in Democratic turnout has also been observed in other 2026 midterm primaries in states like Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio
- ▪Among early voters, 56.7% requested Democratic primary ballots, compared to 41.7% who requested Republican ballots
Georgia Supreme Court races
- ▪Democratic challengers for the court seats include former state Senator Jen Jordan and attorney Miracle Rankin
- ▪The Republican-appointed incumbents are Charlie Bethel and Sarah Warren
- ▪Attention on the state court races increased after a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision weakened the Voting Rights Act
Redistricting plans after primaries
- ▪The special session is intended to consider redrawing federal and state legislative maps for the 2028 election cycle
- ▪Governor Brian Kemp announced that Georgia lawmakers will hold a special session starting June 17, 2026
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