One of the biggest questions in Georgia politics is whether voters would split their tickets and cross party lines at the top of the ticket. So far, early returns suggest a small but significant portion of voters is doing just that.

Gov. Brian Kemp was tallying about 4 percentage points higher support than Republican Senate hopeful Herschel Walker. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock was outdoing Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor, by about 3 points.

It’s early and millions of ballots are still to be counted. But strategists from both parties are keenly watching to see if this trend holds, as it could be the difference between a Senate runoff and an outright win.

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. (center) is flanked by GOP whip Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo. (left) and Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, as Thune speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Earlier Tuesday, the Senate passed the budget reconciliation package of President Donald Trump's signature bill of big tax breaks and spending cuts. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Credit: AP