While Democrats' odds of taking back the governor's seat in Georgia have been good, Republicans still have a solid chance, and the latest poll shows just how tight the race is.
Who's running for governor in Georgia?
The Democratic nominee for governor is Keisha Lance Bottoms. She was a judge, city council member, and mayor of Atlanta, and was a senior advisor to President Joe Biden. The Republican nominee is Rick Jackson, founder of Jackson Healthcare. He's also active in faith-based philanthropy, including foster care initiatives across Georgia.
GA governor race 2026 polls
The latest poll by Quantus Insights was released Aug. 10 with 815 likely voters surveyed July 29 through Aug. 1. They found Bottoms was ahead at 46.4% and Jackson down by 1.5%. There's a lot
of room for Republicans to catch up, as 7.7% were undecided, there's a 3.6% margin of error, and 1% want a different unspecified candidate.
Here's what the last four polls we reported on said:
- AARP has Bottoms ahead at 48%, Jackson at 46%, and 5% undecided.
- State Navigate has Bottoms ahead at 51%, Jackson at 44%, and 5% undecided.
- Fox News has Bottoms ahead at 52% with no accounting for undecided voters.
- Wick has Jackson ahead with 43.2%, Bottoms at 42.7%, and 14.1% undecided.
Georgia governor candidates' platforms
Here are some of the highlights of Bottoms' platform:
- Education: Creating a path to free technical and community college, eliminating state income tax for teachers, and boosting literacy.
- Healthcare: Launching a rural care initiative, expanding Medicaid, ending Georgia Pathways, investing in maternal health, including reproductive rights protections.
- Public Safety: Expanding GBI capacity, supporting university background checks, strengthening re-entry pathways, and investing in targeted violence reduction efforts.
- Small Businesses: Create an office of small business and a deputy commissioner for small business, expand small business loans and grant programs.
Here are some of the highlights of Jackson's platform:
- Affordability: Freeze property taxes, cut state income tax in half to eventually eliminate it, using tech including AI to "eliminate wasteful spending and improve services," and free tuition, room, and board at public colleges and technical schools.
- Children: Strengthen the Georgia Parents' Bill of Rights, supporting foster care, and ensuring transgender girls don't compete in girls' sports and don't use girls' bathrooms or locker rooms.
- Immigration and Law Enforcement: "Ban revolving-door justice....reject soft-on-crime policies....make Georgia number one in the nation for deporting criminal (undocumented) immigrants."
- Politics: Enact term limits for all politicians, audit every government program, and raise expectations.
When is Election Day 2026?
The race will end with Midterm Elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
How long has Kemp been governor of Georgia?
Brian Kemp has been Georgia's governor since he first took the oath of office on Jan. 14, 2019. He was re-elected in 2022 and is barred from running for another term.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Who's winning Georgia governor race? Quantus Insights has new poll
