2026 Elections: Candidate lists, news
Candidate lists, news, campaign info and voting FAQs
News
Years of tension with lawmakers led up to runoff for Superintendent Richard Woods
State Superintendent Richard Woods is facing a June 16 runoff for the Republican nomination with Candler County Superintendent Bubba Longgrear, as he seeks a fourth term leading the state’s K-12 schools, with the winner facing Democrat Lydia Powell in November.
Atlanta Press Club to host final debates for Georgia runoff elections
The Atlanta Press Club is hosting livestreamed debates for runoff elections in Georgia, featuring candidates for U.S. Senate, Public Service Commission, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Governor, State School Superintendent, 11th Congressional District, Labor Commissioner, Insurance Commissioner, 1st Congressional District, and Fulton County Commission Chair.
Democrats outdraw GOP in Georgia primary as turnout flips from 2022
Democrats had a strong showing in Tuesday’s primary election in Georgia, with turnout up by half from the 2022 primary, while Republican turnout fell by a quarter.
Georgia election results: May 19, 2026, primary, nonpartisan races
Here are results from U.S. Congressional races, statewide Georgia races and Georgia legislature races
Governor candidates Esteves, Bottoms make final push for votes in Coastal Georgia
Keisha Lance Bottoms and Jason Esteves made last-minute campaign swings through Coastal Georgia to win over undecided voters and rouse their supporters to the polls, with Bottoms leading in the polls but needing to exceed the 50% threshold to avoid a runoff.
Chatham County elections board race tests power of local GOP’s ‘America First’ faction
The Chatham County Republican Party has endorsed challenger Vicki Bradley in an effort to unseat incumbent James Hall from the Election Board, in a race that has become a test of the party’s power and its “America First” leadership.
Georgia early voters top 1M, breaking primary election record
Georgia voters broke a turnout record for early voting in a primary election, with Democrats having a 15 percentage point advantage over Republicans, and Governor Brian Kemp expressing concern about the Democratic turnout advantage.
Georgia Supreme Court candidates are running in a nonpartisan race. But it doesn’t feel like it.
Two attorneys backed by progressive organizations have launched high-profile campaigns for the Georgia Supreme Court race, hoping to shift the balance of the court, while the incumbent justices accuse them of bringing partisan influences into the race.
Five Democrats compete to challenge appointed Republican labor commissioner
Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes touts strong labor force growth and low unemployment across the state, while five Democrats are seeking to challenge her to lead the state’s Department of Labor, emphasizing the rights of workers and affordability.
Ten candidates compete for two seats on Georgia’s powerful utility commission
Ten candidates are running for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, with the election focusing on energy bills, data centers, and the state’s climate future.
Kingston campaign gets Trump nod amid questions about ties to father, district
Republican Jim Kingston of Savannah is running for his father’s old U.S. Congress seat. He has President Trump’s endorsement, but many locals aren’t impressed.
A Georgia U.S. Senate candidate says foreign truckers are making America’s roads unsafe. His own truckers have caused harm.
Mike Collins, a congressman from Georgia, wants to take away commercial driver’s licenses from noncitizens. Over the past 25 years, truckers for his businesses have been involved in crashes that killed five people and injured more than 50 people.
Democrats battling for lieutenant governor spar over ability to flip seat, work with GOP majority
Three Democratic candidates are competing for the lieutenant governor nomination in Georgia, with each offering different priorities and approaches to working with the GOP-controlled Senate.
Roundup: Kemp rejects calls to redraw this year’s political maps, early voting surge, endorsements
Governor Brian Kemp has decided not to call a special session to redraw Georgia’s political maps this year, while early voting is off to a strong start and high-profile endorsements are being made in the upcoming primary elections.
Georgia lawmakers weigh redrawing maps following Voting Rights Act ruling
The Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais has diluted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, prompting some Republicans to call for Georgia lawmakers to redraw the state’s political maps, while Democrats have condemned the decision and urged Georgians to make their voices heard at the polls.
Georgia SOS candidates debate election integrity, 2020 election claims
Eight candidates debated their qualifications to be Georgia’s next top elections official, with Republicans focusing on concerns about the 2020 election and Democrats advocating for a hybrid voting system and improved language access at the ballot.
1st District Democrats spar over labels, outreach strategy
Democratic candidates for Georgia’s 1st District Congressional seat debated on how to reverse the party’s election woes in the district, with one candidate suggesting that progressive labels and policies should be avoided in favor of a more conservative approach.
As early voting starts, GOP Senate hopefuls make appeals to Georgia voters, spar with each other
Five Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate seat in Georgia debated each other, focusing on their qualifications and attacking each other’s records, while also discussing the issue of abortion.
Kingston challenged in first face-to-face candidate debate
GOP Congressional candidates spar during Sunday debate, take on Kingston following Trump endorsement.
Invitations to NAACP Liberty County forum draw candidate debate
Candidates running for county, state, and federal offices in Liberty County took part in the NAACP Liberty County Branch forum, where questions about who was invited, who wasn’t, and who didn’t show stirred debate.
Fitz Johnson prevails in PSC residency challenge
A judge determined Fitz Johnson meets the legal residency requirement to run for the Republican nomination for the District 3 Georgia Public Service Commission seat.
Buddy Carter, Mike Collins contest heats up
Buddy Carter’s campaign has released a new ad accusing Mike Collins of corruption, as the two Republicans vie for the GOP nomination to face Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff in the May 19 primary.
Georgia Democrats compete for attention, funds in governor primary race
Georgia Democrats are struggling to raise money and gain attention in the upcoming primary for governor, with Republicans having spent nearly $100 million in advertising so far, while Democrats have spent only $1.24 million.
Kingston, Carter lead fundraising race as primaries near
Jim Kingston leads all candidates in fundraising in the race to succeed Earl “Buddy” Carter as Coastal Georgia’s representative in U.S. Congress, with $1.81 million in contributions since June 2025.
Monday deadline to register for May 19 Georgia primary, local nonpartisan races
Georgians have until Monday to register to vote in the May 19 primary election, where candidates from the two major parties will compete for a place on the ballot for November’s election.
Trump endorses Jim Kingston for Coastal Georgia congressional seat
President Donald Trump endorsed Jim Kingston, a 34-year-old businessman and conservative activist, to succeed Buddy Carter as Coastal Georgia’s next congressman, ensuring that he will be the candidate to beat in the Republican Party primary.
Judge to rule on PSC candidate Fitz Johnson’s residency status
Public Service Commissioner Fitz Johnson is facing a challenge to his eligibility to run for the District 3 seat due to his residency, as he was required to live in Fulton, Clayton or DeKalb counties, but mounting evidence points to residence in Cobb County.
Kentucky Gov. Beshear outlines path for Democrats at Georgia dinner
Georgia Democrats are preparing for a tough fight in the upcoming midterm elections, but are hopeful for a rebirth of the party, as evidenced by strong Democratic turnout in recent elections and speeches from Democratic leaders.
Legal challenge targets Fitz Johnson’s PSC residency
Fitz Johnson is facing a residency challenge to his effort to reclaim his seat on the Public Service Commission, with a complaint alleging that his legal residence is a 1.3 million home in Cobb County, outside of the District 3 boundaries of the seat he is seeking.
Top Republican stumps for Kingston
This story was updated on April 13, 2026, at 9:28 a.m. to list donations to Kingston’s campaign by Rep. Jordan’s campaign committee and his political action committee. When it comes to big guns in the Republican Party, few are bigger than Jim Jordan. The Ohio congressman cofounded the Freedom Caucus, the most conservative bloc in…
Georgia legislative primaries see 537 candidates vying for 236 seats
The winners of 236 Georgia legislative elections this year will get a say on tax rates, health care, gun laws and more. Both of the state’s major political parties have candidates in most state House and Senate races, though most incumbents want to return and about a fifth of those running will face no opposition.
Election 2026: Races to watch in Coastal Georgia
With candidate qualifying now over, the race for Coastal Georgia’s U.S. House of Representatives seat is wide open, with 14 candidates from both parties vying for the seat, while other races in the region are also hotly contested.
Results
Take two: These Democratic, Republican statewide races are headed to June runoffs
Georgia voters will return to the polls on June 16 to decide a number of statewide races, including Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Insurance Commissioner, Labor Commissioner, State School Superintendent, and Public Service Commission, District 5.
Buddy Carter’s $8.1 million Senate bid ends in defeat
Coastal Georgia’s Buddy Carter lost the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, finishing third, despite spending millions of his own cash.
Some close calls in Liberty County general primary
Two closely-watched Democratic races – U.S. House District 1 and Board of Commissioners District 1 – are headed for a June 16 runoff because no candidate in the race got 50% plus one vote, as Georgia law requires.
Victorious Jim Kingston awaits November opponent
Jim Kingston won the Republican primary for Coastal Georgia’s 1st District Congressional seat with 52.7% of the vote, and will face either Joyce Griggs or Amanda Hollowell in the general election in November.
Primary runoffs set for June 16
Multiple races in Coastal Georgia are headed to a runoff, including the Republican primary for U.S. Senate and the Democratic contest for the District 1 U.S. House seat, with the primary runoff scheduled for June 16th and early voting from June 8 to 12.
Georgia U.S. Senate race continues on with Collins, Dooley runoff on GOP side
Georgia’s U.S. Senate primary race is headed to a runoff on the Republican side between Congressman Mike Collins and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, with the winner facing Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in November’s general election.
Moss wins literacy gamble, reelected Chatham school board president
Roger Moss won 51.7% of the vote to 48.9% for his challenger, Dr. Dionne Hoskins-Brown, in the Savannah-Chatham County School Board election, securing a second four-year term as board president.
Republican incumbent holds onto Chatham Elections Board seat
James Hall won reelection to the Chatham County Board of Elections, defeating Vicki Bradley, who was recruited by the local Republican Party to run against him for his alleged lack of support for the party’s election integrity initiatives.
Collins will face Dooley in runoff for Georgia U.S. Senate race
Republican voters in Georgia narrowed their field of candidates for U.S. Senate to two, U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and former college football coach Derek Dooley, who will face each other in a runoff election on June 16.
Georgia GOP governor nomination heads to runoff between Jones, Jackson
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and wealthy healthcare executive Rick Jackson will face off in a runoff for the Republican nomination for Governor of Georgia on June 16, after neither received over 50% of the vote in the primary election.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms wins Democratic nomination for Georgia governor
Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Atlanta Mayor, won the Democratic nomination for Governor in Georgia, overcoming six other candidates, including Jason Esteves, Mike Thurmond, and Geoff Duncan. Bottoms is
Sweat, Hutcheson win Glynn’s local GOP commission primaries
Incumbent David Sweat won the District 4 Glynn County Commissioner primary election against Jonathan Thornton, and Dane Hutcheson won the District 3 Commission race against Miranda Music Smith.
Martin Turner defeats Clayton Ben Goff in Camden County District 2 race
Martin Turner successfully defended his Camden County District 2 commission seat against challenger Clayton Ben Goff, winning with a 245-vote margin.
Al Williams wins Georgia House 168 Democratic primary
Newby’s campaign was only able to marshal $6,496.60 in reported contributions by April 30 – a tenth of Williams’ $61,301 war chest.
McIntosh County: May 2026 primary, nonpartisan results
McIntosh County vote results, links to stories from May 19, 2026, primary, nonpartisan elections
Bryan County: May 2026 primary, nonpartisan results
Bryan County vote results, links to stories from May 19, 2026, primary, nonpartisan elections
Chatham County: May 2026 primary, nonpartisan results
Chatham County vote results, links to stories from May 19, 2026, primary, nonpartisan elections
Property taxes, schools motivate early Liberty County voters
Liberty County leads Coastal Georgia in early voting turnout for the May 19 primaries. High taxes and anger at incumbents is motivating them.
Candidates
Candidates for Coastal Georgia county offices in 2026 primary election
Candidates for county races in Coastal Georgia counties have qualified to appear on the May 19th primary ballot, with a possible runoff election on June 16th and the general election on November 3rd.
Candidates for Georgia state offices in 2026 primary election
Candidates for statewide offices for the Georgia primary election have qualified for the primary ballot on May 19 with a potential runoff election on June 16.
U.S. Senate, U.S. House candidates for 2026 primary ballot
List of names vying for US House and Senate seats from Georgia
