Politics

Georgia 2026: What the polls say about the race for governor

Republicans Rick Jackson and Burt Jones are battling for a shot at Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms.
A person walks past a voting sign during the first day of early voting for the primary elections at the Dunwoody Library on Monday, April 27, 2026. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
A person walks past a voting sign during the first day of early voting for the primary elections at the Dunwoody Library on Monday, April 27, 2026. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)
By
Updated June 10, 2026

The November matchup for Georgia governor is still undecided.

No Republican candidate won 50% of the vote in the May primary, which means the top two finishers — billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — will face off to decide who goes against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in November.

Bottoms stunned the Democratic field by winning 56% of the May primary vote.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has collected the top polls for the GOP runoff and beyond. Here’s what they show.

Republican runoff

Jackson’s surprise candidacy and pledge to spend at least $50 million of his own money jolted the Republican primary. Jones won the most votes in the primary with 38%. Jackson finished with about 33%. Runoff polls show another tight race.



What about November?

It’s not too early to think about the general election. Before the May 19 primary, a pollster asked voters about a hypothetical matchup between Bottoms and Jackson and Bottoms and Jones. The results were similar.



Political experts see a race is close with one giving Republicans a small edge.