2026 Georgia gubernatorial election
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| Elections in Georgia |
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The 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Georgia. Incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp will be term-limited by the Georgia Constitution in 2026, and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term.[1]
Background
[edit]Though Georgia is currently a purple state at the federal level (having voted very close to the nation as a whole in Donald Trump's 2024 win, with Georgia voting for Trump by 2.3% while having two Democratic Senators), it continues to maintain a slight to moderate red lean at the state level, with Republicans holding all state seats between 5-10% in the 2022 midterms despite the year overall being somewhat favorable to Democrats, in which Governor Brian Kemp was re-elected against Democrat Stacey Abrams by 7.5% and with 53.4% of the vote,[2] a considerable increase from his 1.3-point victory against Abrams four years earlier. Republicans also control both houses of the Georgia Legislature.
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Chris Carr, Georgia Attorney General (2016–present)[3]
Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- Burt Jones, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia (2023–present)[4][5]
- Kelly Loeffler, former U.S. senator (2020–2021)[6][4]
- Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State (2019–present)[4]
Potential
[edit]- Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. representative from Georgia's 14th congressional district (2021–present)[7]
Declined
[edit]- Andrew Clyde, U.S. representative from Georgia's 9th congressional district (2021–present)[8]
Polling
[edit]Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Chris Carr |
Burt Jones |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20/20 Insight[9] | September 25–28, 2023 | 245 (LV) | ± 6.3% | 9% | 18% | 73% |
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Olujimi Brown, church founder[10]
Publicly expressed interest
[edit]- Stacey Abrams, founder of Fair Fight Action, former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives (2011–2017), and nominee for governor in 2018 and 2022[11]
- Jason Carter, former state senator (2010–2015), grandson of former governor and president Jimmy Carter, and nominee for governor in 2014[12]
- Lucy McBath, U.S. representative for Georgia's 7th congressional district (2019–present)[4][13]
Potential
[edit]Polling
[edit]Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Stacey Abrams |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20/20 Insight[9] | September 25–28, 2023 | 247 (LV) | ± 6.2% | 52% | 34% | 14% |
Notes
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Van Brimmer, Adam (January 15, 2023). "Kemp inauguration: Governor's bid for higher office begins. Will it be Senate? President?". Savannah Morning News. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ Bluestein, Greg (March 16, 2023). "Abrams says she will 'likely run again.' That doesn't excite some Democrats". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
- ^ Bluestein, Greg (November 21, 2024). "Georgia AG Chris Carr launches GOP campaign for governor, kicking off 2026 race". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Bluestein, Greg (May 29, 2024). "US Rep. Lucy McBath says she's open to 2026 bid for Georgia governor". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
- ^ King, Maya (November 21, 2024). "The 2026 Georgia Governor's Race Kicks Off With a First Hat in the Ring". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
Mr. Carr is likely to be one of several high-profile Republicans to enter the primary for governor in Georgia. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a close Trump ally, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger have been widely regarded as possible contenders.
- ^ Gillespie, Brandon (May 23, 2024). "Biden's Abortion Script Flipped by Businesswoman's Boost to Pro-Life Groups". FOX News. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
- ^ Tran, Ken; Cruz, Melissa (May 24, 2024). "After speaker defeat, Marjorie Taylor Greene is back stirring the pot: What's next?". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
- ^ Solender, Andrew (December 12, 2024). "GOP Rep. Ciscomani passes on run for Arizona governor". Axios. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) is not considering a run for Senate or governor and his 'focused on and happy serving [Northeast] GA in the House,' a spokesperson said.
- ^ a b 20/20 Insight
- ^ Poole, Shelia (August 29, 2024). "Impact Church's former pastor, Olu Brown, announces bid for Georgia governor". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on August 29, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
- ^ Merchant, Zach (August 25, 2024). "Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams not ruling out another run for office, says 'all options are on the table'". WXIA-TV. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ Merchant, Zach (June 2, 2024). "Jason Carter discusses family legacy, potential return to politics". WXIA-TV. Retrieved June 2, 2024.
- ^ Ripley, Joe (November 22, 2024). "Here's what Georgia's governor race in 2026 could look like in terms of candidates". WXIA-TV. Retrieved November 26, 2024.