The 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election took place in the US state on November 3, 2026, to elect the governor of Georgia. Keisha Lance Bottoms, a Democrat and former Atlanta Mayor, defeated Republican billionaire businessman Rick Jackson.
Primary elections were held on May 19, 2026, with a primary runoff held on June 16. Jackson and incumbent Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones received the most votes in the first round of the Republican primary, but failed to reach the 50% threshold, causing a runoff which Jackson won. Jackson's campaign was predominantly self-funded, managing to overcome endorsements for Jones from President Donald Trump and outgoing governor Brian Kemp. Bottoms won the Democratic nomination without a runoff against six other candidates.
This race was expected to be highly competitive due to the state's nearly even partisan lean and Bottoms' perceived poor electability. Most polling showed the two candidates within the margin of error. However, in the midst of a historic Democratic wave nationwide, Keisha Lance Bottoms unexpectedly pulled away on election night and won by a comfortable 8.6% margin, much to her own surprise. Along with her victory, Democrats won every other statewide office in Georgia on the same ballot. Bottoms is the first woman and first African-American to be elected governor of Georgia. Bottoms will be the first African-American woman to be governor of any U.S. state. She is also the first Democrat to be elected governor of Georgia since Roy Barnes in 1998.
Republican primary
Candidates
Incumbent Republican governor Brian Kemp was ineligible to seek re-election to a third consecutive term. With Kemp term-limited, speculation mounted about Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr. Carr and Raffensperger sought to associate themselves with Kemp, drawing on his relative popularity. Jones sought to ally himself with Trump, who endorsed him in August 2025.
Rick Jackson, a healthcare CEO, announced his campaign in February 2026. Previously unknown in the political realm, Jackson quickly consolidated support from right-wing primary voters, in part due to his significant personal financial resources. Jackson spent more than $83 million in personal funds during the primary. Jackson's campaign emphasized his success as a self-made billionaire, highlighting his impoverished childhood. Jackson also sought to tie himself to Trump, claiming he would be "Trump's favorite governor" and "just like Trump, but with a Southern tone." An aggressive television ad campaign allowed Jackson to take a small polling lead by spring 2026. Jackson's self-funding represented the largest amount any candidate had ever spent in a primary race for Georgia governor.
Jones's campaign focused primarily on rural connections, Trump, and support from Republican allies in the General Assembly. Jones accused Jackson of "[making] his fortune recruiting for Planned Parenthood" and funding Transgender surgery for minors. Jackson denied these accusations and filed for defamation against Jones, a lawsuit he later dropped.
Nominee
- Rick Jackson, healthcare executive
Eliminated in runoff
- Burt Jones, lieutenant governor of Georgia (2023–present)
Eliminated in primary
- Chris Carr, attorney general of Georgia (2016–present) (endorsed Jackson in runoff)
- Clark Dean, real estate executive
- Gregg Kirkpatrick, entrepreneur
- Brad Raffensperger, Georgia secretary of state (2019–present)
- Tom Williams, retired software engineer
- Ken Yasger, member of the Georgia Army National Guard, Former United States Army Ranger
Declined
- Andrew Clyde, U.S. representative from GA-09 (2021–present) (running for re-election)
- Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. representative from GA-14 (2021–2026)
Endorsements
Chris Carr (eliminated)
Statewide officials
- Nathan Deal, former governor of Georgia (2011–2019) (later endorsed Rick Jackson)
Local officials
Burt Jones
Executive branch officials
- Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present) (later endorsed Rick Jackson)
U.S. representatives
- Rick Allen, GA-12 (2015–present)
- Andrew Clyde, GA-09 (2021–present)
- Clay Fuller, GA-14 (2026–present)
- Brian Jack, GA-03 (2025–present)
- Austin Scott, GA-08 (2011–present)
State legislators
- Jason Anavitarte, majority leader of the Georgia Senate (2025–present) from SD-31 (2021–present)
- John F. Kennedy, former president pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate (2023–2025) from SD-18 (2015–2025)
- Larry Walker III, president pro tempore of the Georgia Senate (2026–present) from SD-20 (2015–present)
- 24 other state senators
- 38 state representatives
Individuals
- Jason Aldean, singer
- Mark Richt, former head football coach at the University of Georgia
Organizations
- Turning Point Action
- Veterans for America First
Fundraising
Italics indicate a candidate that has either withdrawn from the race, declined to run, or been eliminated in the primary.
Asterisk indicates loans or previous campaign account balances.
Polling
Aggregate polls
Results
Jones won a plurality of the vote at 38.4%, winning most rural counties. Jackson came second at 32.5%, drawing strong support from the north Atlanta suburbs. Raffensperger came in third and won DeKalb County. The lack of a majority meant that a runoff was held on June 16.
Runoff
Results
Jackson won the runoff by a 5-point margin, despite Kemp endorsing Jones two days before the vote. With the Democratic primary already over, focus shifted to the candidates' ability to counter Keisha Lance Bottoms. Jackson had consistently attacked Bottoms's record as mayor since he launched his campaign.
In the previous two occasions (2018 and 2010) where the Republican primary did not feature an incumbent governor, the plurality-winner in the primary went on to lose the primary runoff. This trend repeated itself in 2026.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Keisha Lance Bottoms, former director of the Office of Public Engagement (2022–2023) and former mayor of Atlanta (2018–2022)
Eliminated in primary
- Olujimi Brown, church founder
- Amanda Duffy, accountant
- Geoff Duncan, former Republican lieutenant governor of Georgia (2019–2023)
- Jason Esteves, former state senator from the 35th district (2023–2025)
- Derrick Jackson, state representative (2017–2023, 2023–present) and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022
- Mike Thurmond, former DeKalb County CEO (2017–2025), former Georgia Labor Commissioner (1999–2011), and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2010
Withdrawn
- Ruwa Romman, state representative from the 97th district (2023–present) (running for state senate)
Declined
- Stacey Abrams, former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives (2011–2017) and nominee for governor in 2018 and 2022
- 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)
- Lucy McBath, U.S. representative from Georgia's 6th congressional district (2019–present)
Polling
Aggregate polls
Independents and minor parties
Libertarian Party
Candidates
- Chase Oliver, former chair of the Atlanta Libertarian Party, perennial candidate, and nominee for president in 2024
General election
Post-primary endorsements
Rick Jackson (R)
- Nick Ayers, former chief of staff to the vice president (2017–2019)
- Donald Trump, president of the United States (2017–2021, 2025–present)
- Sonny Perdue, former secretary of agriculture (2017–2021) and former governor of Georgia (2003–2011)
- Tom Price, former secretary of health and human services (2017)
- Buddy Carter, GA-01 (2015–present)
- Lynn Westmoreland, GA-08 (2005–2007); GA-03 (2007–2017)
- Nathan Deal, former governor of Georgia (2011–2019)
- Tyler Harper, agriculture commissioner of Georgia (2023–present)
- Brian Kemp, governor of Georgia (2019–present)
- Bárbara Rivera Holmes, labor commissioner of Georgia (2025–present)
- Josh Bonner, HD-72 (2017–2023), HD-73 (2023–present)
- David Clark, HD-98 (2015–2023), HD-100 (2023–present)
- Brent Cox, HD-28 (2023–present)
- Jaclyn Ford, HD-170 (2025–present)
- Lehman Franklin, HD-160 (2023–present)
- Scott Hilton, HD-95 (2017–2019), HD-48 (2023–present)
- Mike Hodges, SD-3 (2023–present)
- Eric Johnson, HD-153 (1993–1995), SD-1 (1995–2009)
- John Kennedy, SD-18 (2015–2025)
- Trey Kelley, HD-16 (2013–present)
- Lauren McDonald, HD-26 (2021–present)
- Butch Miller, SD-49 (2010–2023)
- Chuck Payne, SD-54 (2017–present)
- Rick Townsend, HD-179 (2023–present)
- Mary Norwood, member of the Atlanta City Council (2022–present) (Independent)
- Americans for Prosperity
- Georgia Chamber of Commerce
- NRA Political Victory Fund
Keisha Lance Bottoms (D)
- Bill Clinton, former president of the United States (1993–2001)
- Eric Holder, former attorney general (2001, 2009–2015)
- Barack Obama, former president of the United States (2009–2017)
- Jon Ossoff, Georgia (2021–present)
- Raphael Warnock, Georgia (2021–present)
- Wes Moore, governor of Maryland (2023–present)
- Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan (2019–present)
- Abigail Spanberger, governor of Virginia (2026–present)
- Jason Esteves, former SD-35 (2023–2025) and former gubernatorial candidate
- Harold V. Jones II, minority leader of the Georgia Senate (2025–present) from SD-22 (2015–present)
- Kerry Washington, actress
- Matthew Yglesias, journalist
- Black Economic Alliance
- Democrats for Education Reform
- Everytown for Gun Safety
- Giffords
- Human Rights Campaign
- Jewish Democratic Council of America
- Reproductive Freedom for All
Polling
Aggregate polls
Results
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Baldwin (largest municipality: Milledgeville)
- Burke (largest municipality: Waynesboro)
- Clay (largest municipality: Fort Gaines)
- Fayette (largest municipality: Peachtree City)
- Houston (largest municipality: Warner Robins)
- Jefferson (largest municipality: Louisville)
- Peach (largest municipality: Fort Valley)
- Sumter (largest municipality: Americus)
- Washington (largest municipality: Sandersville)
By congressional district
Despite losing the state, Jackson won 9 congressional districts.
Analysis
A Republican stronghold during the 2000s and 2010s, Georgia is today considered a swing state at the federal level, a feat attributed to the rapid population growth and diversification of Metro Atlanta. However, the state 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 (PSC) 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 state-wide non-federal offices since the 2006 elections. Democrats had not won a gubernatorial election in Georgia since 1998.
Bottoms became the first gubernatorial Democratic candidate to win Houston County (home to Warner Robins) since Roy Barnes in 1998; neighboring Peach County since Barnes in 2010; and the fast-growing Metro Atlanta county of Fayette since Joe Frank Harris in 1986.