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Georgia State Senate elections, 2024
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2026 →
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| 2024 Georgia Senate Elections | |
|---|---|
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| Primary | May 21, 2024 |
| Primary runoff | June 18, 2024 |
| General | November 5, 2024 |
| General runoff | December 3, 2024 |
| Past Election Results |
| 2022・2020・2018・2016・2014 2012・2010・2008 |
| 2024 Elections | |
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| Choose a chamber below: | |
Elections for the Georgia State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was May 21, 2024, and the primary runoff was June 18, 2024. The general runoff was December 3, 2024. The filing deadline was March 8, 2024.
Following the election, Republicans maintained a 33-23 majority.
The Georgia State Senate was one of 85 state legislative chambers with elections in 2024. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.
Party control
| Georgia State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 23 | 23 | |
| Republican Party | 33 | 33 | |
| Total | 56 | 56 | |
Candidates
General election
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate ConnectionPrimary runoff
Georgia State Senate primary 2024 |
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| Office |  Democratic |
 Republican |
Other |
| District 7 |
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| District 34 |
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| District 38 |
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| District 55 |
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Primary
Georgia State Senate primary 2024 |
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| Office | Democratic |
Republican |
Other |
| District 1 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 2 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 3 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 4 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 5 |
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| District 6 |
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| District 7 |
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| District 8 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 9 |
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| District 10 |
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| District 11 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 12 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 13 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 14 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 15 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 16 |
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| District 17 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 18 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 19 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 20 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 21 |
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| District 22 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 23 |
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| District 24 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 25 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 26 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 27 |
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| District 28 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 29 |
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| District 30 |
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| District 31 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 32 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 33 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 34 |
Herman Andrews |
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| District 35 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 36 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 37 |
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| District 38 |
Nkoyo Effiong Lewis |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 39 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 40 |
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| District 41 |
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| District 42 |
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| District 43 |
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The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 44 |
The Republican primary was canceled. |
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| District 45 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 46 |
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| District 47 |
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| District 48 |
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| District 49 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 50 |
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| District 51 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 52 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 53 |
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| District 54 |
The Democratic primary was canceled. |
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| District 55 |
Robin Biro |
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| District 56 |
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Voting information
- See also: Voting in Georgia
General election race ratings
The table below displays race ratings for each race in this chamber from CNalysis.
Incumbents who were not re-elected
Incumbents defeated in general elections
No incumbents lost in general elections. This was less than the average of 0.6 incumbent defeats per cycle from 2010 to 2022.
Incumbents defeated in primaries
No incumbents lost in the 2024 primaries. An average of 1.0 incumbents per year lost in Georgia Senate primary elections from 2010-2022.
Retiring incumbents
Four incumbents did not file for re-election in 2024.[1] This was the fewest number of retirements since 2018 when three incumbents did not file for re-election. Those incumbents were:
| Name | Party | Office |
|---|---|---|
| Valencia Seay |  Democratic |
Senate District 34 |
| Horacena Tate | Democratic |
Senate District 38 |
| Shelly Echols |  Republican |
Senate District 49 |
| Gloria Butler | Democratic |
Senate District 55 |
Primary election competitiveness
This section contains data on state legislative primary election competitiveness in Georgia. These totals include data from all regularly-scheduled House and Senate elections. For more information about Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of state legislative elections, please click here.
Post-filing deadline analysis
The following analysis covers all state legislative districts up for election in Georgia in 2024. Information below was calculated on April 11, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.
There were 236 state legislative seats up for election this year in Georgia. Across those, 16 incumbents (10 Democrats and six Republicans) did not file to run for re-election. That was the fewest number of retirements in a decade. From 2010 to 2022, the average number of retirements per cycle was 28. In 2022, 48 incumbents (23 Democrats and 25 Republicans) did not run for re-election.
The total number of contested primaries (with more than one candidate) was also a decade-low. In 2024, there were 70 contested primaries (39 Democratic and 31 Republican) out of a possible 472, a rate of 14.8%. This was the lowest number since 2014 when 13.1% of primaries had more than one candidate. In 2022, there were 104 primaries (51 Democratic and 53 Republican) for a rate of 22.0% contested primaries.
All 56 Senate seats and all 180 House seats were up for election in 2024.
Open seats
The table below shows the number and percentage of open seats in the Georgia State Senate from 2010 to 2024.[2]
| Open Seats in Georgia State Senate elections: 2010 - 2024 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total seats | Open seats | Seats with incumbents running for re-election |
| 2024 | 56 | 4 (7 percent) | 52 (93 percent) |
| 2022 | 56 | 10 (18 percent) | 46 (82 percent) |
| 2020 | 56 | 9 (16 percent) | 47 (84 percent) |
| 2018 | 56 | 3 (5 percent) | 53 (95 percent) |
| 2016 | 56 | 3 (5 percent) | 53 (95 percent) |
| 2014 | 56 | 7 (13 percent) | 49 (87 percent) |
| 2012 | 56 | 2 (4 percent) | 54 (96 percent) |
| 2010 | 56 | 11 (20 percent) | 45 (80 percent) |
Legislative referrals
- See also: Legislative referral
A legislative referral, or legislatively referred ballot measure, is a ballot measure that appears on the ballot due to a vote of the state legislature. A legislative referral can be a constitutional amendment, state statute, or bond issue.
As of the 2024 election, a two-thirds vote was required during one legislative session for the Georgia General Assembly to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounted to a minimum of 120 votes in the Georgia House of Representatives and 38 votes in the Georgia State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments did not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
At the time of the 2024 election, Republicans held a 33-23 majority in the Senate and a 102-78 majority in the House. Republicans needed to win five Senate seats and win 18 House seats to be able to pass legislative referrals without Democratic votes. Democrats needed to win 15 Senate seats and 42 House seats to have the same ability.
Process to become a candidate
See statutes: Title 21, Chapter 2, Article 4 of the Georgia Code
There are four ways for a candidate to gain ballot access in Georgia: as a political party candidate, as a political organization candidate, as an independent candidate or as a write-in.
Requirements for all candidates
All candidates are required to pay a filing fee; filing fees vary from year-to-year. In lieu of a filing fee, a candidate may submit a pauper's affidavit and qualifying petition, which certifies that the candidate is unable to pay the fee. The affidavit includes a financial statement that lists the candidate's total income, assets, liabilities, and other relevant financial information. This information must indicate that the candidate has neither the assets nor the income to pay the qualifying fee normally required. The pauper's affidavit must be accompanied by a qualifying petition containing signatures as follows:[3]
- One-fourth of 1 percent of the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the last general election if the candidate is seeking statewide office
- 1 percent of the total number of registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the office being sought by the candidate if the candidate is seeking an office other than statewide office
Political party candidates
A political party candidate is nominated at his or her party's primary election. An individual cannot become a political party candidate if he or she has already qualified for the same primary election with a different political party, or if he or she has filed as an independent or political organization candidate. Political parties determine the rules for qualifying to appear on the primary election ballot. However, there are some stipulations set by the state to which all political party candidates must adhere. These include the following:[4][5][6]
- filing a declaration of candidacy and an affidavit with the political party during the political party qualifying period, which is set by the Georgia Secretary of State; the affidavit must state the following:
- the name of the candidate as he or she wishes it to appear on the ballot
- the candidate’s residence
- the candidate’s occupation
- the candidate’s precinct
- that the candidate is eligible to vote in the primary in which he or she is running
- the office the candidate is seeking
- that the candidate is eligible to hold the office he or she is seeking
- that the candidate will not knowingly violate any election rule or law
- that the candidate has never been convicted or sentenced for violation of election laws, malfeasance in office or a felony involving moral turpitude, or, if the candidate has been convicted and sentenced for such crimes, that at least 10 years have passed since completion of the sentence and that the candidate's civil rights have been restored
- paying the qualifying fee or submitting a pauper's affidavit and the accompanying qualifying petition
Within three days of the end of the qualifying period, a political party must certify to the Georgia Secretary of State a list of those candidates who successfully qualified with the party for the primary election and turn in the qualifying fees paid by the candidates, the declarations of candidacy, and the affidavits.[7]
Political organization candidates
A political organization candidate can be nominated by his or her organization's convention, if the political organization has qualified to hold such a convention, or by petition. A candidate cannot file as a political organization candidate if he or she has already filed for the same office as a political party candidate.[5]
If nominated by convention, a political organization candidate must file a notice of candidacy with the Georgia Secretary of State during the political party qualifying period. After a candidate is chosen at the convention, the candidate must pay the filing fee for the corresponding office to the Georgia Secretary of State. If the candidate cannot afford the filing fee, he or she must file a pauper's affidavit and accompanying qualifying petition. With the filing fee or pauper's affidavit, a certified copy of the minutes of the convention, attested to by the chairperson and secretary of the convention, must also be filed.[3][8]
If nominated by petition, a political organization candidate must file a notice of candidacy, petition, and qualifying fee (or pauper's affidavit) with the Georgia Secretary of State during the independent candidate qualifying period, which starts on the fourth Monday in June and ends the following Friday. The signature requirements for these petitions are the same as those for independent candidates, which are listed below. In order for a candidate filing by petition to be recognized as a political organization candidate, the political organization must provide a sworn certificate stating that the named candidate is the nominee of that political organization.[3][9]
Independent candidates
A candidate cannot run as an independent if he or she has qualified for the same office with any political party or political organization. An independent candidate must file a notice of candidacy, petition, and qualifying fee (or pauper's affidavit) with the Georgia Secretary of State during the independent candidate qualifying period, which starts on the fourth Monday in June and ends the following Friday. The signature requirements for the petitions are as follows:[3][5][9]
- For a candidate seeking statewide office, the petition must be signed by registered voters equal in number to 1 percent of the total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the same office the candidate is seeking.
- For candidates seeking any other office, the petition must be signed by registered voters equal in number to 5 percent of the total registered voters eligible to vote in the last election for the same office the candidate is seeking.
Petitions cannot be circulated for more than 180 days between the signing of the first signature and the last.[9]
Write-in candidates
A write-in candidate can only run in the general election. A candidate cannot run as a write-in if he or she ran for the same office as a political party candidate in the immediately preceding primary election. A write-in candidate must file a notice of intention of write-in candidacy with the Georgia Secretary of State no earlier than January 1 in the year of the election and no later than the first Monday in September in the year of the election. After the notice of intention is filed, a notice must also be published in a newspaper with general circulation in the state. Once this notice has been published, the candidate must file with the Georgia Secretary of State a copy of the published notice, as well as an affidavit stating that the notice has been published. The affidavit can be filled out by the candidate or by the publisher or an employee of the newspaper.[10]
Qualifications
According to the Georgia Constitution, Georgia Senators must be at least 25 years old, American citizens, Georgia citizens for at least two years and a resident of his or her Senatorial District for at least one year immediately preceding election.
Salaries and per diem
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[11] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $24,341.64/year | $247/day |
When sworn in
Georgia legislators assume office the second Monday in January.[12]
Georgia political history
Trifectas
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government.
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 |
Presidential politics in Georgia
2020
- See also: Presidential election, 2020
Presidential election in Georgia, 2020
Candidate/Running mate |
% |
Popular votes |
Electoral votes |
||
| ✔ |
 
| Joe Biden/Kamala D. Harris (D) |
49.5
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2,473,633 | 16 |
 
| Donald Trump/Mike Pence (R) |
49.3
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2,461,854 | 0 | |
 
| Jo Jorgensen/Spike Cohen (L) |
1.2
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62,229 | 0 | |
 |
Total votes: 4,997,716 |
2016
- See also: Presidential election, 2016
| U.S. presidential election, Georgia, 2016 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine | 45.6% | 1,877,963 | 0 | |
| Republican |  Donald Trump/Mike Pence |
50.8% | 2,089,104 | 16 | |
| Libertarian | Gary Johnson/Bill Weld | 3% | 125,306 | 0 | |
| - | Other/Write-in | 0.5% | 22,359 | 0 | |
| Total Votes | 4,114,732 | 16 | |||
| Election results via: Federal Election Commission | |||||
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[13] | R | D | D | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R |
Redistricting following the 2020 census
The district court's approval of remedial state legislative maps was appealed to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral argument was held on January 23, 2025.[14]
Governor Kemp (R) signed revised legislative maps into law on December 8, 2023. Legislators in the Georgia House of Representatives voted 98-71 to adopt the new state legislative maps on December 5. The Georgia State Senate voted 32-23 to adopt the state legislative maps on December 1. For more information about the enacted legislative maps, click here.[15][16]
On October 26, 2023, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia ruled that the state's congressional and legislative district boundaries violated the Voting Rights Act and enjoined the state from using them for future elections.[17] The court directed the Georgia General Assembly to develop new maps by December 8, 2023.[17]
See also
| Georgia | State Legislative Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
- ↑ Ballotpedia defines a seat as open if the incumbent did not file to run for re-election or filed but withdrew and did not appear on any ballot for his or her seat. If the incumbent withdrew from or did not participate in the primary but later chose to seek re-election to his or her seat as a third party or independent candidate, the seat would not be counted as open. If the incumbent retired or ran for a different seat in the same chamber, his or her original seat would be counted as open unless another incumbent from the same chamber filed to run for that seat, in which case it would not be counted as open due to the presence of an incumbent.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-132," accessed February 5, 2014
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-151," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-137," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-153," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-154," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-172," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-170," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ Georgia Code, "Section 21-2-133," accessed March 6, 2025
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Georgia Secretary of State, "Georgia Constitution - Article III, Section IV, Paragraph I," accessed February 12, 2021
- ↑ American Independent Party
- ↑ Democracy Docket, "11th Circuit Considers Fate of Georgia Maps in High-Stakes Redistricting Case," January 21, 2025
- ↑ Georgia General Assembly, "Legislative and Congressional Reapportionment Office - Proposed Plans," accessed December 11, 2023
- ↑ Twitter, "RedistrictNet," December 7, 2023
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Reuters, "US judge orders new congressional map in Georgia, citing harm to Black voters," October 27,, 2023
