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Georgia's 1st Congressional District election, 2026

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2024
Georgia's 1st Congressional District
Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
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
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 1st Congressional District
U.S. Senate1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th10th11th12th13th14th
Georgia elections, 2026
U.S. Congress elections, 2026
U.S. Senate elections, 2026
U.S. House elections, 2026

All U.S. House districts, including the 1st Congressional District of Georgia, are holding elections in 2026. The general election is November 3, 2026. The primary is May 19, 2026, and a primary runoff is June 16, 2026. The general runoff is December 1, 2026. The filing deadline is March 6, 2026. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

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

General election

The primary will occur on May 19, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.

General election for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Dylan Castillo is running in the general election for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on November 3, 2026.

Candidate
Dylan Castillo (Socialist Labor Party)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Defonsio Daniels, Amanda Hollowell, Michael McCord, Joseph Palimeno, and Randy Zurcher are running in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on May 19, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1

The following candidates are running in the Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on May 19, 2026.


Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Candidate profiles

There are currently no candidate profiles created for this race. Candidate profiles will appear here as they are created. Encourage the candidates in this race to complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey so that their profile will appear here.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Georgia

Election information in Georgia: Nov. 3, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

  • In-person: Oct. 5, 2026
  • By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 5, 2026
  • Online: Oct. 5, 2026

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

N/A

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

  • In-person: Oct. 23, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Oct. 23, 2026
  • Online: Oct. 23, 2026

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

  • In-person: Nov. 3, 2026
  • By mail: Received by Nov. 3, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 13, 2026 to Oct. 30, 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)


Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

No candidate in this race has completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Ballotpedia is seeking 100 percent participation so voters can learn more about all the candidates on their ballots.

Campaign finance

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Defonsio Daniels Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Amanda Hollowell Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Michael McCord Democratic Party $112,540 $30,159 $82,381 As of September 30, 2025
Joseph Palimeno Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Randy Zurcher Democratic Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Matt Day Republican Party $53,147 $20,355 $32,792 As of September 30, 2025
Patrick Farrell Republican Party $580,101 $83,249 $496,852 As of September 30, 2025
James Kingston Republican Party $1,304,033 $131,915 $1,172,117 As of September 30, 2025
Brian Montgomery Republican Party $110,588 $19,635 $90,953 As of September 30, 2025
Krista Penn Republican Party $9,817 $3,912 $5,905 As of September 30, 2025
Kandiss Taylor Republican Party $28,661 $21,882 $6,971 As of September 30, 2025
Eugene Yu Republican Party $0 $2,000 $41,381 As of September 30, 2025
Dylan Castillo Socialist Labor Party $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

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.

General election race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

  • Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
  • Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
  • Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
  • Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]

Race ratings: Georgia's 1st Congressional District election, 2026
Race trackerRace ratings
1/6/202612/23/202512/16/202512/9/2025
The Cook Political Report with Amy WalterSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Decision Desk HQ and The HillPendingPendingPendingPending
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid RepublicanSolid Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe RepublicanSafe Republican
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

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


District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2020.

General election

General election for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Incumbent Earl Carter (R) defeated Patti Hewitt (D) in the general election for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Earl Carter
Earl Carter (R)
 
62.0
 
220,576
Image of Patti Hewitt
Patti Hewitt (D)  Candidate Connection
 
38.0
 
135,281

Total votes: 355,857
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Patti Hewitt (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Patti Hewitt
Patti Hewitt  Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
25,082

Total votes: 25,082
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Incumbent Earl Carter (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on May 21, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Earl Carter
Earl Carter
 
100.0
 
51,629

Total votes: 51,629
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

General election for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Incumbent Earl Carter (R) defeated Wade Herring (D) in the general election for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Earl Carter
Earl Carter (R)
 
59.1
 
156,128
Image of Wade Herring
Wade Herring (D)
 
40.9
 
107,837

Total votes: 263,965
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary runoff

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Wade Herring (D) defeated Joyce Marie Griggs (D) in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on June 21, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Wade Herring
Wade Herring
 
61.9
 
12,880
Image of Joyce Marie Griggs
Joyce Marie Griggs
 
38.1
 
7,918

Total votes: 20,798
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Joyce Marie Griggs (D) and Wade Herring (D) advanced to a runoff. They defeated Michelle Munroe (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on May 24, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Joyce Marie Griggs
Joyce Marie Griggs
 
48.6
 
21,891
Image of Wade Herring
Wade Herring
 
38.0
 
17,118
Image of Michelle Munroe
Michelle Munroe  Candidate Connection
 
13.4
 
6,043

Total votes: 45,052
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Incumbent Earl Carter (R) advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on May 24, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Earl Carter
Earl Carter
 
100.0
 
80,757

Total votes: 80,757
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

General election

General election for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Incumbent Earl Carter (R) defeated Joyce Marie Griggs (D) in the general election for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Earl Carter
Earl Carter (R)
 
58.3
 
189,457
Image of Joyce Marie Griggs
Joyce Marie Griggs (D)  Candidate Connection
 
41.7
 
135,238

Total votes: 324,695
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary runoff

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Joyce Marie Griggs (D) defeated Lisa Ring (D) in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on August 11, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Joyce Marie Griggs
Joyce Marie Griggs  Candidate Connection
 
55.9
 
15,958
Image of Lisa Ring
Lisa Ring  Candidate Connection
 
44.1
 
12,594

Total votes: 28,552
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Lisa Ring (D) and Joyce Marie Griggs (D) advanced to a runoff. They defeated Barbara Seidman (D) in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Lisa Ring
Lisa Ring  Candidate Connection
 
46.0
 
28,916
Image of Joyce Marie Griggs
Joyce Marie Griggs  Candidate Connection
 
40.7
 
25,593
Image of Barbara Seidman
Barbara Seidman
 
13.3
 
8,337

Total votes: 62,846
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1

Incumbent Earl Carter (R) defeated Daniel Merritt (R) and Ken Yasger (R) in the Republican primary for U.S. House Georgia District 1 on June 9, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Earl Carter
Earl Carter
 
82.2
 
65,907
Image of Daniel Merritt
Daniel Merritt  Candidate Connection
 
16.4
 
13,154
Ken Yasger
 
1.4
 
1,153

Total votes: 80,214
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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_01.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+8. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 8 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Georgia's 1st the 159th most Republican district nationally.[5]

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 1st Congressional District
Kamala Harris Democratic Party Donald Trump Republican Party
42.0% 58.0%

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[6] 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 October 2025.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Georgia
Party U.S. Senate U.S. House Total
Democratic 2 5 7
Republican 0 9 9
Independent 0 0 0
Vacancies 0 0 0
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
Office Officeholder
Governor Republican Party Brian Kemp
Lieutenant Governor Republican Party Burt Jones
Secretary of State Republican Party Brad Raffensperger
Attorney General Republican Party Chris Carr

State legislature

Georgia State Senate

Party As of October 2025
     Democratic Party 22
     Republican Party 33
     Other 0
     Vacancies 1
Total 56

Georgia House of Representatives

Party As of October 2025
     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

See also

Georgia 2026 primaries 2026 U.S. Congress elections
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Georgia congressional delegation
Voting in Georgia
Georgia elections:
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Democratic primary battlegrounds
Republican primary battlegrounds
U.S. Senate Democratic primaries
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U.S. House Republican primaries
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U.S. Senate elections
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Special elections
Ballot access

External links

Footnotes

  1. Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  2. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  3. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  4. Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  5. Cook Political Report, "2025 Cook PVI℠: District Map and List (119th Congress)," accessed July 1, 2025
  6. American Independent Party


Senators
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)