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Georgia's 11th Congressional District election, 2026 (May 19 Democratic primary)

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← 2024
Georgia's 11th Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 6, 2026
Primary: May 19, 2026
Primary runoff: June 16, 2026
General: November 3, 2026
General runoff: December 1, 2026
How to vote
Poll times:

7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Georgia

Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending
Inside Elections: Solid Republican
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
See also
Georgia's 11th Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th
Georgia elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

A Democratic Party primary takes place on May 19, 2026, in Georgia's 11th Congressional District to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the district's general election on November 3, 2026.

Candidate filing deadline Primary election General election
March 6, 2026
May 19, 2026
November 3, 2026



A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Georgia utilizes an open primary system, in which any voter can participate in a political party's primary election regardless of their partisan affiliation. A candidate must win a majority of votes cast in the primary in order to win the election. If no candidate wins an outright majority, a runoff primary is held between the top two vote-getters.[1][2]

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This is one of 51 open races for the U.S. House of Representatives this year in which an incumbent is not running for re-election. Across the country, 21 Democrats and 30 Republicans are not running for re-election. In 2024, 45 incumbents — 24 Democrats and 21 Republicans — did not seek re-election.

This page focuses on Georgia's 11th Congressional District Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the district's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

Candidates and election results

Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:

  • Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
  • Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 11

Chris Harden (D), Chase Laminack (D), Iris Medina-Elston (D), Christopher Dale Vines (D), and Barry Wolfert (D) are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 11 on May 19, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Chris Harden
Chris Harden  Candidate Connection
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Chase Laminack
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Iris Medina-Elston
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Christopher Dale Vines
Image of Barry Wolfert
Barry Wolfert  Candidate Connection

There are no incumbents in this race.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Chris Harden

Image of Chris Harden

Website

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "Chris is from Northwest Georgia. He is the oldest of 3 siblings. His parents just celebrated their 48th Anniversary. He grew up in a trailer in Rossville. He graduated from Ridgeland High School, Georgia State University (where he majored in Political Science/ Pre-Law with a minor in History), and Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. In 2012, Chris passed the bar and was sworn in to practice law. Chris now lives and works in Cherokee County with his wife and kids. They are the proud parents of triplets. Both are also attorneys and own and operate their own estate planning and probate law firm in Woodstock called the Harden Law Firm, LLC. Over the past 13 years, Chris has been a contract attorney with many different Georgia counties (Walker, Catoosa, Dade, Chattooga, Dekalb, Gordon, Bartow, and now Cherokee County) where he takes appointed dependency cases from Juvenile court. These cases are where DFCS has removed a child and Chris will represent either the mother, father, or the kids."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

1. Restoring Common Sense and Stability The chaos has to stop. Too often, our leaders push quick fixes or extreme ideas that create more problems than they solve. Chris believes that government should focus on practical, balanced solutions — not partisan fights. When policies cause more harm than good, they’re the wrong policies. It’s time for common-sense leadership that listens, learns, and works for the people of Georgia.

2. Strengthening Public Education It all begins with education. A strong public education system is the foundation for opportunity and success. Chris and his family are proud supporters of Georgia’s public schools and believe every child deserves access to a quality education — no matter their ZIP code. He will fight to: Support and retain great teachers. Empower parents to be active partners in their children’s education. Ensure students have the resources they need to learn, grow, and succeed. A good education opens doors — to college, to careers, and to brighter futures for all Georgia families.

3. Expanding Access to Affordable Healthcare Healthcare should not be a luxury item — it’s a necessity. Chris has seen firsthand how a single injury or illness can devastate a family financially or force someone to choose between their health and their job. He believes every Georgian should have access to affordable, quality healthcare and that no one should suffer or go bankrupt because they got sick. Chris will work to: Lower healthcare and prescription drug costs. Expand access to coverage, especially in rural and underserved communities. Protect working families from medical debt and financial ruin. Because in a state as prosperous as Georgia, no one should have to choose between their health and their future.

Barry Wolfert

Image of Barry Wolfert

FacebookXYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography:  "I am a small business owner & Cobb County resident fighting for an affordable and compassionate America that doesn't leave hardworking people behind. I am an ordinary, hard working American pursuing the American dream: work hard, own a home, provide for my family and enjoy a reasonable retirement. I am entering this race because I feel our country is off course and headed towards an irreparable outcome. It didn't start with Donald Trump but it has accelerated under him. It's time bring back citizen-led servant leadership; we need people in Congress who work in the real world everyday and not just "sympathize" with Americans but are one of them. When elected, I won't forget where I come from and I will make a promise right now to serve no more than 3 terms in the US House. We don't need any more career politicians."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

As a self employed, self-insured person, I understand and feel firsthand the stress of our current healthcare system. Having absorbed 10%-20% annual premium increases over the last 10+ years, I know how hard it is to find the money to pay for basic healthcare coverage. Now, with ACA subsidies at risk, we are all facing enormous and insurmountable costs that will either break us or force us to go without coverage. This system is broken.

As a person in their middle years, I also fully understand the prospect of NEVER being able to fully retire. Even with the best efforts and luck, social security is now at risk of being insolvent within 7-8 years. No one can afford to see their benefits cut by 20%-25% and expect to be able to fully retire without worry. We MUST protect social security and medicare.

As a real estate agent for over 20 years, I deal with the housing affordability crisis on a daily basis. Not only is it almost impossible to find good homes due to large corporations buying thousands of homes and keeping them off the market, being able to afford a monthly mortgage and downpayment is difficult at best and almost impossible for first time buyers.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Georgia

Election information in Georgia: May 19, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: April 20, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by April 20, 2026
  • Online: April 20, 2026

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

  • In-person: May 8, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 8, 2026
  • Online: May 8, 2026

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

  • In-person: May 19, 2026
  • By mail: Received by May 19, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

April 27, 2026 to May 15, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (ET)

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Chris Harden Democratic Party $13,903 $0 $13,903 As of December 31, 2025
Chase Laminack Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Iris Medina-Elston Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Christopher Dale Vines Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Barry Wolfert Democratic Party $18,948 $6,335 $12,613 As of December 31, 2025

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee."
** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.
*** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

  • District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
  • Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2026 U.S. House elections in the state.
  • Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
  • State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.


Below is the district map in place for this election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

2025_01_03_ga_congressional_district_011.jpg
See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2026
Information about competitiveness will be added here as it becomes available.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2026 elections, based on results from the 2024 and 2020 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district is R+12. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 12 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Georgia's 11th the 102nd most Republican district nationally.[3]

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2024 presidential election was in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by The Downballot.

2024 presidential results in Georgia's 11th Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic PartyDonald Trump Republican Party
38.0%61.0%

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Georgia, 2024

Georgia presidential election results (1900-2024)

  • 20 Democratic wins
  • 11 Republican wins
  • 1 other win
Year 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Winning Party D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D R AI[4] R D D R R D R R R R R R D R
See also: Party control of Georgia state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Georgia's congressional delegation as of January 2026.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Georgia
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 5 7
Republican 0 8 8
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 1 1
Total 2 14 16

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Georgia's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.

State executive officials in Georgia, October 2025
OfficeOfficeholder
GovernorRepublican Party Brian Kemp
Lieutenant GovernorRepublican Party Burt Jones
Secretary of StateRepublican Party Brad Raffensperger
Attorney GeneralRepublican Party Chris Carr

State legislature

Georgia State Senate

Party As of February 2026
     Democratic Party 23
     Republican Party 31
     Other 0
     Vacancies 2
Total 56

Georgia House of Representatives

Party As of February 2026
     Democratic Party 79
     Republican Party 99
     Other 0
     Vacancies 2
Total 180

Trifecta control

Georgia Party Control: 1992-2025
Eleven years of Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-one years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Georgia in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Georgia, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2026
State Office Party Signatures required Filing fee Filing deadline Source
Georgia U.S. House Ballot-qualified party N/A $5,220 3/6/2026 Source
Georgia U.S. House Unaffiliated 27,992 $5,220 7/14/2026 Source

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ LexisNexis, "O.C.G.A. § 21-2-224," accessed September 30, 2025
  2. ↑ LexisNexis, "O.C.G.A. § 21-2-501," accessed September 30, 2025
  3. ↑ Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  4. ↑ American Independent Party


Georgia's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Jon Ossoff (D)
Raphael Warnock (D)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
Vacant
Republican Party (8)
Democratic Party (7)
Vacancies (1)


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