Georgia Senate and Governor Races Show Competition Ahead of 2026 Midterms

Voting is underway in Georgia's primary elections for the 2026 midterms. Republicans view the state as a key opportunity to gain seats, but have not yet rallied around a single candidate in the Senate or governor races. The state has two Democratic U.S. senators and a Republican governor.

Georgia leans Republican, according to political analyses, but Democrats have won recent elections under certain conditions.

Ossoff is seeking reelection after defeating Republican incumbent David Perdue in a January 2021 runoff. That election, along with Raphael Warnock's win, shifted control of the Senate to Democrats. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate.

The Republican primary field includes Representative Mike Collins, Representative Buddy Carter, and Derek Dooley, a former University of Tennessee football coach. Recent polls show Collins leading with 22 percent support, Carter with 13 percent, and Dooley with 11 percent, while 54 percent of likely Republican primary voters remain undecided.

“Georgia is one of those Senate races where no one candidate has a significant ideological or political advantage. That's likely why Trump hasn't endorsed because he could work well with any of the three of the Republicans," Brent Buchanan, founder and CEO of Cygnal polling firm, told Newsweek. General election polls indicate Ossoff leads Collins by 7 points and Carter by 9 points in one April survey. Another poll from February to March showed Ossoff ahead of Dooley by 8 points, Collins by 5 points, and Carter by 3 points. The RealClearPolitics average has Collins at 29 percent, Carter at 16 percent, and Dooley at 11.5 percent in the primary. Ossoff raised more than $14 million in the first quarter of 2026 and had over $31 million in cash on hand entering April, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican-aligned super PAC, plans to spend $44 million in the state. The primary may go to a runoff if no candidate exceeds 50 percent, potentially delaying the nominee selection by a month. Georgia requires more than 50 percent to win on Election Day, or the top two candidates advance to a runoff.”

The state last elected a Democratic governor in 1999, when Roy Barnes won. The Republican field includes Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, Rick Jackson, Attorney General Chris Carr, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Thomas Williams. Intraparty divisions exist, with noted bitterness between some candidates.

Experts indicate that primary competition could affect party unity in the general election.

Historical midterm trends show the president's party often loses seats, particularly when approval ratings are low and economic concerns are high. Analysts note this as a factor in down-ballot races. Georgia requires candidates to receive more than 50 percent to avoid a runoff, which has favored Democrats in recent Senate runoffs in 2020 and 2022.

A third-party candidate could force a runoff in a close race.