What to know about Georgia’s primary as Republicans set sights on Senate

Republicans hope to reclaim Jon Ossoff’s Senate seat after a 2020 upset, and Democrats will pick a champion for the governor’s race.Voters depart an election centre in Kennesaw, Georgia, US,, in May 2024 [File: Mike Stewart/AP Photo]Published On 17 May 2026The southern state of Georgia is set to hold its primary vote on Tuesday, drawing battle lines for November’s consequential midterm elections in the United States.Among the most closely watched races will be the Republican contest to choose a challenger for Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff, whose 2020 victory came amid a liberal surge in a state long dominated by conservatives.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3What to know ahead of primary elections in the US state of Ohiolist 2 of 3Indiana, Ohio primaries draw midterm battle lines, reinforce Trump’s pulllist 3 of 3Virginia Supreme Court strikes down Democrats’ redistricting plan in USend of listAlso topping the ticket will be the race to choose a Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Many in the party see the opening in the governor’s mansion this year as a generational opportunity to win the highest state-level office.Meanwhile, issues of affordability, election administration and gerrymandering have loomed large over the primary race. Here’s what to know:Who is running in the US Senate race?Senator Jon Ossoff, the incumbent Democrat, is running unopposed in his party’s primary and is all but assured to be its candidate in the general election.The Republican field is much more crowded. Five Republicans are vying to take on Ossoff, including two sitting members of the US House of Representatives: Buddy Carter and Mike Collins.Both Carter and Collins have hewed close to Donald Trump in their messaging, with their campaigns mostly focusing on who will be the staunchest ally to the US president. Trump has not made an endorsement in the race.Collins has led the pack in fundraising and endorsements, but has been dogged by an ongoing ethics probe into his alleged misuse of congressional funds.Outgoing Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who has a more complicated relationship with Trump, endorsed college American football coach Derek Dooley, who has pitched himself as a more moderate alternative to Carter and Collins.Rounding out the race are former US Army General Jonathan McColumn and businessman John Coyne. If McColumn were elected in November, he would become only the second Black Republican in the Senate.Who is running to be Georgia’s governor?In the gubernatorial race, Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta and a staffer in the administration of former President Joe Biden, is leading a crowded Democratic field.Lance Bottoms was seen as a bulwark against Trump when she served as Atlanta’s mayor, pushing back against the president’s false claims that the state’s 2020 election results were marred by malfeasance.Her opponents in the Democratic primary include former DeKalb County executive Michael Thurmond and Georgia’s former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, who was previously a Republican.Both men have framed themselves as more moderate than Lance Bottoms. Running to her left, as a progressive, is state Senator Jason Esteves.With the incumbent, Republican Governor Kemp, facing term limits, the race represents a rare opportunity for Democrats in the general election to flip the office. Georgia has not had a Democratic governor since 2003.Running on the Republican side are billionaire Rick Jackson and Trump-endorsed candidate Burt Jones, the state’s current second in command.Other top candidates include Republican Brad Raffensperger, the top state election official who notoriously stood up to Trump following the 2020 vote, and State Attorney General Chris Carr.Why does Georgia’s Senate primary matter?Democrats pulled off a pair of upsets in Georgia’s 2020 race for the US Senate.Both of the state’s US Senate seats were on the ballot that year, after an unexpected resignation. Ossoff defeated a Republican incumbent to claim one of the vacancies, while fellow Democrat Raphael Warnock won a special election to flip the other seat too.Their victories gave Democrats a brief majority in the US Senate. They also came amid a sea change in Georgia politics.That same year, Biden defeated Trump in Georgia, marking the first time since 1992 that a Democratic presidential candidate had won the state.The election raised the prospect of Georgia — with its large Black population and shifting demographics — becoming a solidly Democratic state. But the presidential race in 2024 dashed the notion, with Trump handily defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, in the state.This year’s midterm election will be seen as an indicator of which way the state’s political winds are blowing.Democrats are hoping to reclaim the Senate majority from the Republicans, and keeping Ossoff’s seat will be extremely important to achieving that goal.Only one-third of the 100 senators in the chamber are up for re-election this year, with the races generally favouring Republicans.Currently, Republicans hold majorities in both the US House and the Senate. But if Democrats are able to take control of either chamber, it will transform Trump’s final two years in office, likely constraining his agenda.What’s important about Georgia’s state-level races?The statewide races will be significant for several reasons.Georgia was one of the main targets of Trump’s claims that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen”. In the wake of the race, he famously pushed election official Raffensperger to “find” more votes in his favour.Republican state officials pushed back at the time, but Trump’s claims, which are not backed by evidence, have generated support from some in the state’s Republican Party.The officials who get elected during this year’s midterm race could have a vast influence over how elections are administered going forward.Not only is control over the governor’s office on the ballot, but so are other key state-level posts, including state attorney general and secretary of state, both of which will have no incumbent running.Another critical issue facing the state-level candidates is the question of partisan redistricting.Kemp, the outgoing governor, has called a special session in June to redraw Georgia’s congressional map ahead of the 2028 election, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling gutting a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.That would advance a key priority under Trump: the president has pushed Republicans across the country to reconfigure their state congressional maps to bolster the party’s odds.But critics have warned the process could be used to dilute Black voting power in the state. The longevity of Georgia’s redistricting push could be determined by the outcome of November’s midterm races.Democrats have therefore highlighted the issue as they seek more statewide posts and influence in the state legislature.What are the polls saying?In the Republican Senate primary, recent polls have shown Collins leading with about 22 percent, followed by Carter at 12.5 percent and Dooley at 11 percent. If no candidate breaks the 50 percent threshold, the race will head to a June 16 run-off.Whoever wins the Republican primary will face incumbent Senator Ossoff in November.Both parties, meanwhile, are holding primaries for the gubernatorial race. In the Democratic primary, Keisha Lance Bottoms has a percentage of support averaging in the high 40s. That puts her far ahead of her closest party competitor, Thurmond, whom polls have placed between 10 and 25 percent.On the Republican side, billionaire Jackson has been leading in the polls, followed closely by Jones.What other races are on the ballot?Several other races are on the ballot this year.