Georgia gubernatorial election, 2026 (May 19 Democratic primary)
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← 2022
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| Governor of Georgia |
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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 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican Inside Elections: Tilt Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| Georgia executive elections |
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A Democratic Party primary takes place on May 19, 2026, in Georgia to determine which candidate will earn the right to run as the party's nominee in the state's gubernatorial election on November 3, 2026.
This page focuses on Georgia's Democratic Party gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Georgia's Republican gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages:
- Georgia gubernatorial election, 2026 (May 19 Republican primary)
- Georgia gubernatorial election, 2026
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 Governor of Georgia
The following candidates are running in the Democratic primary for Governor of Georgia on May 19, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Keisha Bottoms | |
 | Olu Brown | |
 | Geoff Duncan | |
 | Jason Esteves | |
 | Derrick Jackson | |
 | Ruwa Romman | |
 | Michael Thurmond | |
| ||||
 = 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. | ||||
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.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Mayor of Atlanta (2018-2022)
- Atlanta City Councilmember (2010-2018)
Biography: Bottoms earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in 1991 and her law degree from Georgia State University in 1994. She worked as an attorney, judge, and chief executive officer of KRLB, LLC.
Show sources
Sources: The 19th, "Keisha Lance Bottoms enters Georgia governor’s race, pledging to fight ‘the chaos of Trump 2.0’," May 20, 2025; Keisha Bottoms 2026 campaign website, "About Keisha," accessed February 5, 2026; WSBTV, "Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms officially announces run for Georgia governor," May 20, 2025; Linkedin, "Keisha Lance Bottoms," accessed February 5, 2026
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Lieutenant Governor of Georgia (2019-2023)
- Georgia House of Representatives - District 26 (2013-2017)
Biography: Duncan was a professional baseball player and business owner. He ran a marketing company and worked in venture capital before serving as the chief executive officer of Wellview Health.
Show sources
Sources: ABC News, "Geoff Duncan broke with Trump. The former Republican wants Democrats to make him Georgia's governor," February 2, 2026; The Telegraph, "Geoff Duncan plans to use state funds, expand Medicaid to lower Georgia living costs," February 5, 2026; The Telegraph, "Geoff Duncan calls for repeal of Georgia abortion ban during Macon stop," February 3, 2026; Georgia House of Representatives, "Geoff Duncan (R-Cumming) Biography," accessed February 5, 2026
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- Georgia State Senate (2023-2025)
- Atlanta Public Schools school board (2013-2022)
Biography: Esteves earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Miami in 2005 and his law degree from Emory University in 2010. He worked as a vice president of legal and assistant general counsel for Equifax, as an associate with McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, and as a middle school social studies teacher.
Show sources
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- DeKalb County executive (2016-2025)
- Georgia Labor Commissioner (1999-2011)
- Georgia House of Representatives (1986-1992)
Biography: Thurmond earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy and religion from Paine College and his law degree from the University of South Carolina. He worked as an attorney, university lecturer, and DeKalb schools superintendent.
Show sources
Sources: Mike Thurmond 2026 campaign website, "Home," accessed February 5, 2026; Savannah Now, "Georgia gubernatorial candidate Michael Thurmond campaigns in Savannah," December 4, 2025; Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Mike Thurmond says he brings statewide experience to race for governor," August 13, 2025; 11Alive, "Michael Thurmond talks about decision to run for Georgia governor," August 6, 2025; DeKalb County, "DeKalb County CEO Michael L. Thurmond," accessed February 5, 2026
Voting information
- See also: Voting in Georgia
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia's 1st | Buddy Carter | R+8 |
| Georgia's 2nd | Sanford Bishop | D+4 |
| Georgia's 3rd | Brian Jack | R+15 |
| Georgia's 4th | Hank Johnson | D+27 |
| Georgia's 5th | Nikema Williams | D+36 |
| Georgia's 6th | Lucy McBath | D+25 |
| Georgia's 7th | Rich McCormick | R+11 |
| Georgia's 8th | Austin Scott | R+15 |
| Georgia's 9th | Andrew Clyde | R+17 |
| Georgia's 10th | Mike Collins | R+11 |
| Georgia's 11th | Barry Loudermilk | R+12 |
| Georgia's 12th | Rick Allen | R+7 |
| Georgia's 13th | David Scott | D+21 |
| Georgia's 14th | Marjorie Taylor Greene | R+19 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris  | Donald Trump  |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia's 1st | 42.0% | 58.0% |
| Georgia's 2nd | 54.0% | 46.0% |
| Georgia's 3rd | 35.0% | 65.0% |
| Georgia's 4th | 76.0% | 23.0% |
| Georgia's 5th | 85.0% | 14.0% |
| Georgia's 6th | 75.0% | 25.0% |
| Georgia's 7th | 38.0% | 60.0% |
| Georgia's 8th | 34.0% | 65.0% |
| Georgia's 9th | 33.0% | 67.0% |
| Georgia's 10th | 39.0% | 60.0% |
| Georgia's 11th | 38.0% | 61.0% |
| Georgia's 12th | 43.0% | 57.0% |
| Georgia's 13th | 71.0% | 28.0% |
| Georgia's 14th | 31.0% | 68.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 52.2% of Georgians lived in one of the state's 27 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 46.8% lived in one of 128 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Georgia was Battleground Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Joe Biden (D) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Georgia following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| Georgia county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Democratic | 27 | 52.2% | |||||
| Solid Republican | 128 | 46.8% | |||||
| New Republican | 3 | 0.7% | |||||
| Trending Republican | 1 | 0.2% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 27 | 52.2% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 132 | 47.8% | |||||
Historical voting trends
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[1] | R | D | D | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Georgia.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of Georgia
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Georgia.
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.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | Brian Kemp |
| Lieutenant Governor | Burt Jones |
| Secretary of State | Brad Raffensperger |
| Attorney General | Chris Carr |
State legislature
Georgia State Senate
| Party | As of January 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 23 | |
| Republican Party | 32 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 1 | |
| Total | 56 | |
Georgia House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 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 |
The table below details demographic data in Georgia and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for Georgia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | United States | |
| Population | 10,711,908 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 57,716 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 52.5% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 31.3% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 4.4% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 0.4% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.6% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 4.1% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 7.2% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 10.7% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 89% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 34.2% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $74,664 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 13.5% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
State profile
| Demographic data for Georgia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 10,199,398 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 57,513 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 60.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 30.9% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 3.6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.1% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 9.1% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 85.4% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 28.8% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,620 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 21.1% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Georgia. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Georgia
Georgia voted Republican in six out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, five are located in Georgia, accounting for 2.43 percent of the total pivot counties.[2]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Georgia had five Retained Pivot Counties, 2.76 percent of all Retained Pivot Counties.
More Georgia coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Georgia
- United States congressional delegations from Georgia
- Public policy in Georgia
- Endorsers in Georgia
- Georgia fact checks
- More...
See also
| Georgia | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ American Independent Party
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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