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The 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, concurrently with other statewide and local elections to elect the next governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp won the election, defeating Democratic former State Representative Stacey Abrams.
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| Turnout | 56.80%  14.55pp | ||||||||||||||||
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   Kemp:
40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Abrams: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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The primary elections were held on May 22, 2018, and a primary runoff was held on July 24, 2018, between Republican candidates Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle; Kemp prevailed. Incumbent Republican governor Nathan Deal was term-limited and thus could not seek a third consecutive term. Abrams won the Democratic primary with over 75% of the vote, allowing her to avoid a runoff. Kemp was the sitting Secretary of State at the time of the election. Kemp's position led to accusations of a conflict of interest, as Kemp oversaw the administration of an election in which he was the candidate.
On November 7, Kemp declared victory over Abrams. The following morning, Kemp resigned as Secretary of State.[1] On November 16, every county certified their votes with Kemp leading by roughly 55,000 votes.[2] Shortly after the election certification, Abrams suspended her campaign; she accepted Kemp as the legal winner of the election while refusing to say that the election was legitimate.[3][4] Abrams has since claimed numerous[5] instances of election activity that allegedly unfairly affected the results. Following the election, Abrams and her organization Fair Fight filed a number of lawsuits challenging the constitutionality and Voting Rights Act compliance of Georgia's voting laws.[6]
Kemp prevailed by 54,723 votes, defeating Abrams 50.2–48.8%. Georgia's 2018 gubernatorial election was its closest governor's race since 1966.[7] Kemp was re-elected governor in 2022 in a rematch with Abrams.
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Candidates
Nominated
- Brian Kemp, Secretary of State of Georgia and candidate for Agriculture Commissioner in 2006[8]
Eliminated in the runoff
Eliminated in the primary
- Hunter Hill, former state senator[10]
- Clay Tippins, consulting firm executive and retired Navy SEAL[11]
- Michael Williams, state senator[12]
Withdrew
- Marc Alan Urbach, journalist, former teacher and write-in candidate for president of the United States in 2016[13][14]
Declined
- Nick Ayers, political strategist and chief of staff to U.S. Vice President Mike Pence[15][16]
- Burt Jones, state senator[17][18]
- Josh McKoon, state senator (running for Secretary of State)[19][20]
- David Perdue, U.S. Senator[21][17][22]
- Sonny Perdue, United States Secretary of Agriculture and former governor[23][21][17]
- Tom Price, former United States Secretary of Health and Human Services and former U.S. Representative[24][21]
- David Ralston, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives[25][26]
- Lynn Westmoreland, former U.S. Representative[27][17][28]
Endorsements
Casey Cagle
Governors
- Nathan Deal, governor of Georgia[29]
U.S. senators
- Saxby Chambliss (former)[30]
U.S. representatives
- Phil Gingrey (former)[30]
- Jack Kingston (former)[30]
- Lindsay Thomas (former)[31]
- Lynn Westmoreland (former)[32]
State senators
- John Albers, state senator[33]
- Lee Anderson, state senator[30]
- Brandon Beach, state senator[30]
- C. Ellis Black, state senator[31]
- Matt Brass, state senator[30]
- Dean Burke, state senator[30]
- Mike Dugan, state senator[30]
- Frank Ginn, state senator[30]
- Tim Golden, former state senator[31]
- Steve Gooch, state senator[34]
- Tyler Harper, state senator[30]
- Jack Hill, state senator[31]
- Chuck Hufstetler, state senator[35]
- Burt Jones, state senator[30]
- John Kennedy, state senator[30]
- Greg Kirk, state senator[30]
- Kay Kirkpatrick, state senator[30]
- P.K. Martin, state senator[30]
- Fran Millar, state senator[30]
- Butch Miller, state senator[30]
- Jeff Mullis, state senator[35]
- Jack Murphy, former state senator[34]
- Jesse Stone, state senator[31]
- Larry Walker III, state senator[30]
- Ben Watson, state senator[31]
- John Wilkinson, state senator[30]
- Renee Unterman, state senator[30]
State representatives
- John Deffenbaugh, state representative[35]
- Dewayne Hill, state representative[35]
- Marc Morris, state representative[34]
- Ron Stephens, state representative[31]
Individuals
Organizations
Hunter Hill
U.S. senators
State representatives
- Michael Caldwell, state representative[39]
- Wes Cantrell, state representative[40]
U.S. representatives
- Barry Loudermilk (GA-11)
Clay Tippins
State representatives
- Allen Peake, state representative[41]
Michael Williams
Individuals
- Duane Chapman, better known as "Dog the Bounty Hunter"[42]
- Darrell C. Scott, co-founder, National Diversity Coalition for Trump[43]
- Roger Stone, political consultant and Donald Trump advisor[44]
First round
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Casey Cagle |
Hunter Hill |
Brian Kemp |
Clay Tippins |
Michael Williams |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion Savvy[45] | May 15–16, 2018 | 515 | ± 4.3% | 31% | 14% | 20% | 12% | 5% | 4% | 15% |
| SurveyUSA[46] | May 10–15, 2018 | 558 | ± 5.1% | 35% | 10% | 17% | 8% | 3% | – | 27% |
| University of Georgia[47] | April 19–26, 2018 | 507 | ± 4.4% | 41% | 9% | 10% | 4% | 3% | 1%[48] | 33% |
| Meeting Street Research (R-Citizens for Georgia's Future)[49] | March 1 and 3–4, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 38% | 10% | 10% | 3% | 2% | 3%[50] | 35% |
| Clarion Research (R-Hill)[51] | March 2–3, 2018 | 547 | ± 4.5% | 48% | 21% | 15% | 8% | 7% | – | – |
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 27% | 11% | 13% | 12% | 5% | 1%[53] | 31% |
| Meeting Street Research (R-Citizens for Georgia's Future)[49] | February 6–7, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 31% | 7% | 12% | 5% | 2% | 3% | 40% |
| The Wickers Group (R-Kemp)[54] | October 21–24, 2017 | 400 | ± 4.5% | 34% | 1% | 13% | 0% | 1% | – | 48% |
| Landmark/Rosetta Stone[55] | October 16–17, 2017 | 800 | ± 3.5% | 35% | 9% | 7% | 1% | 4% | – | 44% |
| McLaughlin & Associates (R-Cagle)[56] | September 28 – October 1, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 41% | 4% | 12% | 2% | 3% | – | 39% |
Results
Cagle—50–60%
Cagle—40–50%
Cagle—<40%
Kemp—<40%
Kemp—40–50%
Kemp—50–60%
Hill—<40%
Tie
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Casey Cagle | 236,987 | 38.95 | |
| Republican | Brian Kemp | 155,189 | 25.51 | |
| Republican | Hunter Hill | 111,464 | 18.32 | |
| Republican | Clay Tippins | 74,182 | 12.19 | |
| Republican | Michael Williams | 29,619 | 4.87 | |
| Republican | Eddie Hayes | 939 | 0.15 | |
| Total votes | 608,380 | 100 | ||
Runoff
Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp advanced to a runoff on July 24, 2018, since neither candidate amassed over 50% of the vote in the May 22 primary.[59] On July 18, 2018, President Trump tweeted his support for Kemp, and Vice President Pence traveled to Georgia to campaign with him on July 20, 2018.[60]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Casey Cagle |
Brian Kemp |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trafalgar Group (R)[61] | July 21–22, 2018 | 1,177 | ± 2.7% | 41% | 59% | 0% |
| SurveyUSA[62] | July 15–19, 2018 | 688 | ± 4.7% | 34% | 40% | 26% |
| Opinion Savvy[63] | July 17–18, 2018 | 466 | ± 4.5% | 37% | 55% | 8% |
| University of Georgia[64] | July 5–12, 2018 | 769 | ± 3.5% | 41% | 44% | 15% |
| Public Opinion Strategies (R-Kemp)[65] | June 26–28, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 45% | – |
| Cygnal[66] | June 26–27, 2018 | 812 | ± 3.4% | 44% | 43% | 14% |
| Rosetta Stone[67] | June 7, 2018 | 400 | ± 4.9% | 48% | 41% | 12% |
| McLaughlin & Associates (R-Cagle)[68] | May 29–31, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 52% | 42% | 5% |
| Public Opinion Strategies (R-Kemp)[69] | May 29–31, 2018 | 600 | ± 4.0% | 46% | 45% | 9% |
Debates
Results
Brian Kemp easily won the runoff by nearly 40 points despite the latest polls having him up by no more than 18. Cagle won only two counties, Monroe and Stephens.[70]
Kemp—80–90%
Kemp—70–80%
Kemp—60–70%
Kemp—50–60%
Cagle—50–60%
Cagle—60–70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brian Kemp | 408,595 | 69.45 | |
| Republican | Casey Cagle | 179,712 | 30.55 | |
| Total votes | 588,307 | 100.0 | ||
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Candidates
Nominated
- Stacey Abrams, former state representative and former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives[72]
Eliminated in the primary
- Stacey Evans, attorney and former state representative[73]
Declined
- John Barrow, former U.S. Representative (running for Secretary of State)[74][21][17][75]
- Jason Carter, former state senator, nominee for governor in 2014 and grandson of former President Jimmy Carter[21][76]
- Kasim Reed, former mayor of Atlanta[77][78][79]
- Teresa Tomlinson, Mayor of Columbus[80][81]
- Sally Yates, former U.S. Deputy Attorney General[82][83][84][85]
Endorsements
Stacey Abrams
Federal politicians
- Cory Booker, U.S. Senator (D-NJ)[86]
- Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator (D-CA)[87]
- Hank Johnson, U.S. Representative (D-GA)[88]
- John Lewis, U.S. Representative (D-GA) and prominent civil rights movement leader[89]
- Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator (I-VT)[90]
- David Scott, U.S. Representative (D-GA)[91]
Statewide and local politicians
- Kimberly Alexander, state representative[92]
- Tonya Anderson, state senator[92]
- Debra Bazemore, state representative[92]
- Sharon Beasley-Teague, state representative[92]
- Karen Bennett, state representative[92]
- Rhonda Burnough, state representative[92]
- Darrel Bush Ealum, state representative[92]
- Park Cannon, state representative[92]
- Gail Davenport, state senator[92]
- Pam Dickerson, state representative[92]
- Gloria Frazier, state representative[92]
- Carl Gilliard, state representative[92]
- Andrew Gillum, mayor of Tallahassee, Florida; candidate for governor in 2018[93]
- J. Craig Gordon, state representative[92]
- Ed Harbison, state senator[92]
- Carolyn Hugley, state representative[92]
- Brenda Lopez, state representative[92]
- Pedro Marin, state representative[92]
- Dewey McClain, state representative[92]
- Howard Mosby, state representative[92]
- Nan Orrock, state senator[92]
- Miriam Paris, state representative[92]
- Sam Park, state representative[92]
- Dexter Sharper, state representative[92]
- Pam Stephenson, state representative[92]
- Al Williams, state representative[92]
Individuals
- Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States
- Hillary Clinton, 2016 Democratic nominee for president, former Secretary of State, former Senator from New York, former First Lady of the United States[94]
- Wendy Davis, former Texas state senator and nominee for governor in Texas in 2014[95]
- Will Ferrell, comedian and actor[96]
- Valerie Jarrett, former Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs[97]
- Jason Kander, former Missouri Secretary of State and nominee for U.S. Senate in Missouri in 2016[98]
- Rev. Joseph Lowery, prominent civil movement leader and United Methodist Church minister[99]
- Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States[100]
- Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution and former Ohio state senator[101]
- Oprah Winfrey, media mogul and talk show host[102]
Labor unions
- American Federation of Government Employees District 5[103]
- Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL–CIO[104]
- Georgia Association of Educators[105]
- Georgia State AFL–CIO[106][107]
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 613[104]
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 926[104]
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 77[108]
- Southeast Council of Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union[109]
Organizations
- Americans for Responsible Solutions/GiffordsPAC[110]
- Democracy for America[111]
- EMILY's List[112]
- Higher Heights for America[113]
- Let America Vote[114]
- Mijente, a digital and grassroots group for Latino and Chicano movement building and organizing[115]
- Moveon.org[116]
- NARAL Pro-Choice America[117]
- Our Revolution[118]
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund[119]
- The Working Families Party[120]
Websites and newspapers
Stacey Evans
Federal politicians
- Max Cleland, former U.S. Senator (D-GA)[122]
- Buddy Darden, former U.S. Representative[73]
Statewide politicians
- Roy Barnes, former Governor[123]
State legislators
- LaDawn Blackett Jones, former state representative[124]
- Roger Bruce, state representative[125]
- David Dreyer, state representative[125]
- Virgil Fludd, former state representative[125]
- Vincent Fort, former state senator[126]
- Spencer Frye, state representative[125]
- Sheila Jones, state representative[125]
- Dar'shun Kendrick, state representative[125]
- Ronnie Mabra, former state representative[73]
- Elena Parent, state senator[125]
- Michael Rhett, state senator[125]
- Michael Smith, state representative[125]
- Erica Thomas, state representative[125]
- Keisha Waites, state representative[125]
- Earnest "Coach" Williams, state representative[125]
Local politicians
- Sherry Boston, DeKalb County District Attorney[127]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Stacey Abrams |
Stacey Evans |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion Savvy[45] | May 15–16, 2018 | 522 | ± 4.3% | 58% | 19% | 23% |
| SurveyUSA[46] | May 10–15, 2018 | 475 | ± 6.2% | 43% | 24% | 33% |
| 20/20 Insight (D-Evans)[128] | May 9–15, 2018 | 433 | ± 5.4% | 42% | 34% | 25% |
| University of Georgia[129] | April 12–18, 2018 | 473 | ± 4.5% | 33% | 15% | 52% |
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.5% | 29% | 17% | 54% |
Results
Abrams—80–90%
Abrams—70–80%
Abrams—60–70%
Abrams—50–60%
Evans—50–60%
Evans—60–70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Stacey Abrams | 424,305 | 76.44 | |
| Democratic | Stacey Evans | 130,784 | 23.56 | |
| Total votes | 555,089 | 100.0 | ||
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Candidates
Declared
- Ted Metz, chair of the Libertarian Party of Georgia[131]
Withdrew
- Doug Craig, former chair of the Libertarian Party of Georgia[132][17][133]
If no candidate had gained a simple majority of the votes in the general election, a runoff election between the top two candidates would have been held on December 4, 2018.[134]
Debates
| Dates | Location | Kemp | Abrams | Metz | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 23, 2018 | Atlanta, Georgia | Participant | Participant | Participant | Full debate - C-SPAN |
- A second debate was scheduled for November 4, 2018 (2 days before Election Day), but it was canceled when Kemp pulled out of the schedule in order to attend a rally for President Donald Trump. The Kemp campaign sent multiple other dates but the Abrams campaign declined due to a full schedule.[135]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[136] | Tossup | October 26, 2018 |
| The Washington Post[137] | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
| FiveThirtyEight[138] | Lean R | November 5, 2018 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[139] | Tilt R | November 1, 2018 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[140] | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
| RealClearPolitics[141] | Tossup | November 4, 2018 |
| Daily Kos[142] | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
| Fox News[143][a] | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
| Politico[144] | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
| Governing[145] | Tossup | November 5, 2018 |
Endorsements
Stacey Abrams (D)
Former U.S. Executive Branch officials
- Joe Biden, 47th Vice President of the United States and former U.S. Senator (D-DE)[146]
- Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States and 76th Governor of Georgia[147]
- Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States and 40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas
- Hillary Clinton, 2016 Democratic nominee for President of the United States, 67th Secretary of State, former Senator from New York, former First Lady of the United States[94]
- Eric Holder, 82nd U.S. Attorney General[148]
- Valerie Jarrett, former Director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs[97]
- Barack Obama, 44th president of the United States and former U.S. senator (D-IL)[149]
- Sally Yates, 36th U.S. Deputy Attorney General[150]
- Andrew Young, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former Mayor of Atlanta[151]
Federal politicians
- Sanford Bishop, U.S. Representative (D-GA)
- Cory Booker, U.S. Senator (D-NJ)[86]
- Max Cleland, former U.S. Senator (D-GA)[152]
- Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Senator (D-NY)[153]
- Kamala Harris, U.S. Senator (D-CA)[87]
- Hank Johnson, U.S. Representative (D-GA)[154]
- Doug Jones, U.S. Senator (D-AL)[155]
- Joe Kennedy, U.S. Representative (D-MA)[156]
- John Lewis, U.S. Representative (D-GA) and prominent civil rights movement leader[89]
- Grace Meng, U.S. Representative (D-NY)[157]
- Jeff Merkley, U.S. Senator (D-OR)[158]
- Seth Moulton, U.S. Representative (D-MA)[159]
- Tom Perriello, former U.S. Representative (D-VA)[160]
- Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator (I-VT)[90]
- David Scott, U.S. Representative (D-GA)[91]
- Terri Sewell, U.S. Representative (D-AL)[161]
- Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senator (D-MA)[162]
Statewide and local politicians
- Kimberly Alexander, state representative[92]
- Tonya Anderson, state senator[92]
- Roy Barnes, former Governor of Georgia[163]
- Debra Bazemore, state representative[92]
- Sharon Beasley-Teague, state representative[92]
- Karen Bennett, state representative[92]
- Rhonda Burnough, state representative[92]
- Darrel Bush Ealum, state representative[92]
- Park Cannon, state representative[92]
- Jason Carter, former state senator and nominee for governor in 2014[164]
- Gail Davenport, state senator[92]
- Pam Dickerson, state representative[92]
- Gloria Frazier, state representative[92]
- Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles[165]
- Carl Gilliard, state representative[92]
- J. Craig Gordon, state representative[92]
- Ed Harbison, state senator[92]
- Carolyn Hugley, state representative[92]
- Shelly Hutchinson, state representative[92]
- Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mayor of Atlanta[166]
- Brenda Lopez, state representative[92]
- Pedro Marin, state representative[92]
- Dewey McClain, state representative[92]
- Howard Mosby, state representative[92]
- Nan Orrock, state senator[92]
- Miriam Paris, state representative[92]
- Sam Park, state representative[92]
- Ayanna Pressley, member of the Boston City Council[167]
- Dexter Sharper, state representative[92]
- Pam Stephenson, state representative[92]
- Al Williams, state representative[92]
Individuals
- 2 Chainz, rapper[168]
- Kandi Burruss, singer and actress[169]
- John Carlos, former Olympic athlete[170]
- Common, rapper and actor[171]
- Wendy Davis, former Texas state senator and nominee for governor in Texas in 2014[95]
- Joshua DuBois, political commentator[172]
- Justin Fairfax, lieutenant governor of Virginia[173]
- Will Ferrell, actor and comedian[174]
- Andrew Gillum, mayor of Tallahassee, Florida; candidate for governor in 2018[93]
- Tiffany Haddish, actress[175]
- John Hickenlooper, governor of Colorado[176]
- Keri Hilson, singer and actress[177]
- Letitia James, New York City Public Advocate[178]
- Rashida Jones, actress and filmmaker[179]
- Jason Kander, former Missouri Secretary of State and nominee for U.S. Senate in Missouri in 2016[98]
- Michelle Kwan, former figure skater[180]
- John Legend, singer-songwriter[181]
- Kenny Leon, director[182]
- Rev. Joseph Lowery, prominent civil movement leader and United Methodist Church minister[99]
- Ludacris, rapper and actor[183]
- Terry McAuliffe, former governor of Virginia[184]
- Monica, singer and actress[185]
- Martin O'Malley, former governor of Maryland[186]
- Tom Perez, chair of the DNC[187]
- Amy Poehler, actress[188]
- Kelly Rowland, singer[170]
- Kendrick Sampson, actor[170]
- Amy Schumer, actress[189]
- Jussie Smollett, actor[190]
- Tara Strong, voice actress and activist[191][192]
- Kara Swisher, journalist[193]
- Holland Taylor, actress[194]
- Kenan Thompson, actor and comedian[195]
- Nina Turner, president of Our Revolution and former Ohio state senator[101]
- Carl Weathers, actor[170]
- Oprah Winfrey, television personality[196]
Labor unions
- American Federation of Government Employees District 5[103]
- Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL–CIO[104]
- Georgia Association of Educators[105]
- Georgia State AFL–CIO[106][107]
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 613[104]
- International Union of Operating Engineers Local 926[104]
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 77[108]
- Southeast Council of Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union[109]
Organizations
- Americans for Responsible Solutions/GiffordsPAC[110]
- Black Economic Alliance[197]
- Democracy for America[111]
- EMILY's List[112]
- End Citizens United
- Higher Heights for America[113]
- Human Rights Campaign[198]
- Let America Vote[114]
- Mijentes, a digital and grassroots group for Latino and Chicano movement building and organizing[115]
- Moveon.org[116]
- NARAL Pro-Choice America[117]
- Our Revolution[118]
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund[119]
- Sierra Club[199]
- The Working Families Party[120]
Websites and newspapers
Brian Kemp (R)
U.S. executive branch officials
- Randy Evans, U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg[200]
- Mike Pence, vice president of the United States[201][202]
- Donald Trump, president of the United States[203]
U.S. senators
- Johnny Isakson (R-GA)[204]
- David Perdue (R-GA)[205]
- Marco Rubio (R-FL)[206]
U.S. representatives
- Rick W. Allen, U.S. representative (GA-12)
- Bob Barr, former U.S. representative (GA-7)[207]
- Buddy Carter, U.S. representative (GA-01)[208]
- Doug Collins, U.S. representative (GA-09)[209]
- Drew Ferguson, U.S. representative (GA-03)
- Newt Gingrich, former U.S. representative (GA-6), former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives[210]
- Tom Graves, U.S. representative (GA-14)[211]
- Karen Handel, U.S. representative (GA-6), former Georgia Secretary of State[212]
- Jody Hice, U.S. representative (GA-10)[213]
- Barry Loudermilk, U.S. representative (GA-11)[214]
- Austin Scott, U.S. representative (GA-08)[215]
- Rob Woodall, U.S. representative (GA-07)
State politicians
- Rick Austin, mayor of Demorest[216]
- Ames Barnett, mayor of Washington[216]
- Keith Brady, mayor of Newnan[217]
- Casey Cagle, lieutenant governor of Georgia and former gubernatorial candidate[218]
- Wes Cantrell, state representative[219]
- David Clark, state representative[220]
- Dan Curry, mayor of Loganville[216]
- Bill Darsey, mayor of Lakeland[216]
- Nathan Deal, governor of Georgia[221]
- Steve Edwards, mayor of Sugar Hill[216]
- Steve Fry, mayor of Williamson[216]
- John Gayle, mayor of Valdosta[216]
- John Harley, mayor of Centerville[216]
- Hunter Hill, former state senator and former candidate for governor[222]
- Susan Holmes, state representative[223]
- Ralph Hudgens, Georgia insurance commissioner[207]
- Charles Ivey, mayor of Watkinsville[216]
- Nancy Jester, DeKalb County commissioner[224]
- Jan Jones, mayor of Sasser[216]
- Jan Jones, state representative, Speaker pro tempore of the Georgia House of Representatives[225]
- David Earl Keith, mayor of Jesup[216]
- Ken Lee, mayor of Rincon[216]
- Lamar Lee, mayor of Walnut Grove[216]
- Lee Moore, mayor of Franklin Springs[216]
- Peggy Murphy, mayor of Alma[216]
- Roy Plott, mayor of Jefferson[216]
- Johnny Pritchett, mayor of Bishop[216]
- Jeff Reese, mayor of Villa Rica[217]
- Vic Reynolds, Cobb County district attorney[226]
- Michael Richbourg, mayor of Nashville[216]
- Jefferson Riley, mayor of Mansfield[216]
- Walter Rocker, mayor of Eatonton[217]
- JD Stallings, mayor of Thomaston[217]
- Sam Teasley, state representative[227]
- Stephen Tingen, mayor of Gray[216]
- Clay Tippins, retired Navy SEAL and former gubernatorial candidate,[228]
- Kenneth Turner, mayor of Gordon[217]
- Patricia Wheeler, mayor of Stone Mountain[216]
- Mike Young, mayor of McRae-Helena[216]
Organizations
- Georgia Hunting and Fishing Federation[229]
- Georgia Log Cabin Republicans[230]
- GeorgiaCarry.org[231]
- National Federation of Independent Business[232]
- National Rifle Association of America[233]
Individuals
- Herman Cain, former presidential candidate[234]
- Vince Dooley, former University of Georgia head football coach and athletic director[235]
- Erick Erickson, former member of the Macon City Council and conservative radio host and blogger[236]
- Laura Loomer, internet personality, political activist, and investigative journalist[237]
- Ralph Reed, former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party, candidate for lieutenant governor of Georgia and Christian activist[238]
- Herschel Walker, former college and professional football player[239]
Newspapers
Polling
Graphical summary
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Brian Kemp (R) |
Stacey Abrams (D) |
Ted Metz (L) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Trafalgar Group (R)[245] | October 30 – November 3, 2018 | 2,171 | ± 2.1% | 52% | 40% | – | 4% | 4% |
| 20/20 Insight (D-Southern Majority)[246] | October 31 – November 2, 2018 | 614 | ± 4.0% | 46% | 50% | 1% | – | 3% |
| Emerson College[247] | October 29–31, 2018 | 724 | ± 3.7% | 49% | 47% | 1% | – | 2% |
| Cygnal (R)[248] | October 27–30, 2018 | 504 | ± 4.4% | 49% | 47% | 4% | – | 0% |
| University of Georgia[249] | October 21–30, 2018 | 1,091 | ± 3.0% | 47% | 47% | 2% | – | 5% |
| Opinion Savvy[250] | October 28–29, 2018 | 623 | ± 3.9% | 47% | 48% | 2% | – | 3% |
| Opinion Savvy[251] | October 21–22, 2018 | 824 | ± 3.4% | 48% | 48% | 1% | – | 3% |
| Marist College[252] | October 14–18, 2018 | 554 LV | ± 4.8% | 46% | 45% | 4% | <1% | 4% |
| 49% | 47% | – | 1% | 4% | ||||
| 864 RV | ± 3.8% | 44% | 46% | 4% | <1% | 6% | ||
| 47% | 47% | – | 1% | 5% | ||||
| Ipsos[253] | October 4–11, 2018 | 1,088 | ± 3.4% | 47% | 46% | 2% | 1% | 4% |
| University of Georgia[254] | September 30 – October 9, 2018 | 1,232 | ± 2.8% | 48% | 46% | 2% | – | 4% |
| SurveyUSA[255] | October 3–8, 2018 | 655 | ± 4.9% | 47% | 45% | – | 2% | 6% |
| Public Policy Polling (D-Georgia Engaged)[256] | October 5–6, 2018 | 729 | ± 3.0% | 46% | 46% | – | – | 7% |
| Landmark Communications[257] | October 1, 2018 | 964 | ± 3.2% | 48% | 46% | 2% | – | 3% |
| SurveyMonkey[258] | September 9–24, 2018 | 1,955 | ± 3.0% | 43% | 43% | – | – | 14% |
| Garin-Hart-Yang (D-Abrams)[259] | September 17–20, 2018 | 603 | ± 4.1% | 42% | 48% | 3% | – | 7% |
| University of Georgia[260] | August 26 – September 4, 2018 | 1,020 | ± 3.1% | 45% | 45% | 2% | – | 8% |
| Gravis Marketing[261] | July 27–29, 2018 | 650 | ± 3.8% | 44% | 46% | – | – | 10% |
| SurveyUSA[262] | July 15–19, 2018 | 1,199 | ± 4.3% | 46% | 44% | – | – | 10% |
| Garin-Hart-Yang (D-Abrams)[263] | May 23–25, 2018 | 601 | ± 4.0% | 40% | 49% | – | – | – |
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 37% | 40% | – | – | 23% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Casey Cagle (R) |
Stacey Abrams (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[262] | July 15–19, 2018 | 1,199 | ± 4.3% | 45% | 43% | 12% |
| Garin-Hart-Yang (D-Abrams)[263] | May 23–25, 2018 | 601 | ± 4.0% | 43% | 48% | – |
| SurveyUSA[46] | May 10–15, 2018 | 2,339 | ± 3.5% | 46% | 41% | 14% |
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 39% | 16% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Clay Tippins (R) |
Stacey Abrams (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 40% | 41% | 19% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Hunter Hill (R) |
Stacey Abrams (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 37% | 43% | 20% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Casey Cagle (R) |
Stacey Evans (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[46] | May 10–15, 2018 | 2,339 | ± 3.5% | 45% | 41% | 13% |
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 47% | 38% | 15% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Brian Kemp (R) |
Stacey Evans (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 42% | 39% | 19% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Clay Tippins (R) |
Stacey Evans (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 41% | 38% | 21% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Hunter Hill (R) |
Stacey Evans (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason-Dixon[52] | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 35% | 36% | 29% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Casey Cagle (R) |
Jason Carter (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[264] | May 27–30, 2016 | 724 | ± 3.6% | 40% | 39% | 21% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Casey Cagle (R) |
Kasim Reed (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[264] | May 27–30, 2016 | 724 | ± 3.6% | 46% | 33% | 21% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Brian Kemp (R) |
Jason Carter (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[264] | May 27–30, 2016 | 724 | ± 3.6% | 38% | 40% | 22% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Brian Kemp (R) |
Kasim Reed (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[264] | May 27–30, 2016 | 724 | ± 3.6% | 43% | 33% | 24% |
Hypothetical polling
with Casey Cagle
with Clay Tippins
with Hunter Hill
with Stacey Evans
with Casey Cagle
with Brian Kemp
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brian Kemp | 1,978,408 | 50.22% | −2.52% | |
| Democratic | Stacey Abrams | 1,923,685 | 48.83% | +3.95% | |
| Libertarian | Ted Metz | 37,235 | 0.95% | −1.41% | |
| Write-in | 81 | 0.00% | -0.02% | ||
| Total votes | 3,939,409 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
By county
All results from the office of the Secretary of State of Georgia.[266]
| County | Brian Kemp Republican | Stacey Abrams Democratic | Ted Metz Libertarian | Total votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | # | % | # | % | # | ||
| Appling | 79.72% | 5,428 | 19.94% | 1,358 | 0.34% | 23 | 6,809 |
| Atkinson | 74.39% | 1,876 | 25.26% | 637 | 0.36% | 9 | 2,522 |
| Bacon | 86.71% | 3,321 | 12.77% | 489 | 0.52% | 20 | 3,830 |
| Baker | 58.24% | 753 | 41.38% | 535 | 0.39% | 5 | 1,293 |
| Baldwin | 49.47% | 7,735 | 49.84% | 7,793 | 0.69% | 108 | 15,636 |
| Banks | 89.75% | 6,150 | 9.41% | 645 | 0.83% | 57 | 6,852 |
| Barrow | 73.57% | 20,162 | 25.18% | 6,900 | 1.25% | 343 | 27,405 |
| Bartow | 76.09% | 28,425 | 22.82% | 8,524 | 1.10% | 410 | 37,359 |
| Ben Hill | 63.80% | 3,539 | 35.75% | 1,983 | 0.45% | 25 | 5,547 |
| Berrien | 85.00% | 5,314 | 14.40% | 900 | 0.61% | 38 | 6,252 |
| Bibb | 38.27% | 23,225 | 61.07% | 37,066 | 0.66% | 401 | 60,692 |
| Bleckley | 78.52% | 3,816 | 20.62% | 1,002 | 0.86% | 42 | 4,860 |
| Brantley | 91.29% | 5,198 | 8.10% | 461 | 0.61% | 35 | 5,694 |
| Brooks | 61.36% | 3,511 | 38.24% | 2,188 | 0.40% | 23 | 5,722 |
| Bryan | 70.12% | 10,507 | 28.78% | 4,313 | 1.10% | 165 | 14,985 |
| Bulloch | 62.69% | 14,848 | 36.44% | 8,630 | 0.87% | 205 | 23,683 |
| Burke | 50.57% | 4,410 | 48.95% | 4,269 | 0.48% | 42 | 8,721 |
| Butts | 71.74% | 6,358 | 27.65% | 2,451 | 0.61% | 54 | 8,863 |
| Calhoun | 42.65% | 810 | 57.08% | 1,084 | 0.26% | 5 | 1,899 |
| Camden | 65.29% | 11,139 | 33.57% | 5,727 | 1.14% | 195 | 17,061 |
| Candler | 72.34% | 2,560 | 27.21% | 963 | 0.45% | 16 | 3,539 |
| Carroll | 69.79% | 29,204 | 29.11% | 12,180 | 1.10% | 459 | 41,843 |
| Catoosa | 79.47% | 18,881 | 19.32% | 4,590 | 1.21% | 287 | 23,758 |
| Charlton | 75.08% | 2,534 | 24.36% | 822 | 0.56% | 19 | 3,375 |
| Chatham | 40.01% | 41,425 | 58.97% | 61,059 | 1.02% | 1,059 | 103,543 |
| Chattahoochee | 54.57% | 603 | 44.71% | 494 | 0.72% | 8 | 1,105 |
| Chattooga | 79.85% | 5,936 | 19.44% | 1,445 | 0.71% | 53 | 7,434 |
| Cherokee | 72.08% | 76,700 | 26.36% | 28,047 | 1.56% | 1,664 | 106,411 |
| Clarke | 28.56% | 12,365 | 70.27% | 30,427 | 1.18% | 510 | 43,402 |
| Clay | 45.19% | 536 | 54.13% | 642 | 0.67% | 8 | 1,186 |
| Clayton | 11.79% | 10,868 | 87.81% | 80,971 | 0.40% | 373 | 92,212 |
| Clinch | 76.04% | 1,717 | 23.65% | 534 | 0.31% | 7 | 2,258 |
| Cobb | 44.53% | 138,852 | 54.12% | 168,767 | 1.35% | 4,195 | 311,814 |
| Coffee | 70.78% | 8,929 | 28.78% | 3,630 | 0.44% | 56 | 12,615 |
| Colquitt | 75.83% | 9,830 | 23.56% | 3,054 | 0.61% | 79 | 12,963 |
| Columbia | 66.44% | 40,947 | 32.49% | 20,023 | 1.08% | 664 | 61,634 |
| Cook | 70.93% | 4,116 | 28.73% | 1,667 | 0.34% | 20 | 5,803 |
| Coweta | 69.69% | 40,471 | 29.12% | 16,908 | 1.19% | 692 | 58,071 |
| Crawford | 72.86% | 3,595 | 26.39% | 1,302 | 0.75% | 37 | 4,934 |
| Crisp | 63.05% | 4,445 | 36.55% | 2,577 | 0.40% | 28 | 7,050 |
| Dade | 82.53% | 4,508 | 16.18% | 884 | 1.28% | 70 | 5,462 |
| Dawson | 85.94% | 9,953 | 13.12% | 1,519 | 0.94% | 109 | 11,581 |
| Decatur | 60.05% | 5,492 | 39.53% | 3,615 | 0.43% | 39 | 9,146 |
| DeKalb | 15.64% | 48,923 | 83.47% | 261,042 | 0.89% | 2,776 | 312,741 |
| Dodge | 73.93% | 5,220 | 25.73% | 1,817 | 0.34% | 24 | 7,061 |
| Dooly | 52.73% | 2,001 | 46.96% | 1,782 | 0.32% | 12 | 3,795 |
| Dougherty | 29.69% | 9,330 | 69.94% | 21,980 | 0.37% | 115 | 31,425 |
| Douglas | 39.35% | 21,744 | 59.82% | 33,053 | 0.83% | 458 | 55,255 |
| Early | 55.26% | 2,285 | 44.50% | 1,840 | 0.24% | 10 | 4,135 |
| Echols | 88.19% | 1,008 | 11.02% | 126 | 0.79% | 9 | 1,143 |
| Effingham | 76.89% | 17,969 | 22.01% | 5,145 | 1.10% | 257 | 23,371 |
| Elbert | 69.73% | 5,152 | 29.70% | 2,194 | 0.57% | 42 | 7,388 |
| Emanuel | 69.98% | 5,400 | 29.52% | 2,278 | 0.49% | 38 | 7,716 |
| Evans | 69.39% | 2,392 | 30.17% | 1,040 | 0.44% | 15 | 3,447 |
| Fannin | 82.96% | 9,306 | 16.13% | 1,809 | 0.92% | 103 | 11,218 |
| Fayette | 56.03% | 32,497 | 42.75% | 24,796 | 1.22% | 705 | 57,998 |
| Floyd | 71.10% | 21,569 | 27.84% | 8,445 | 1.07% | 324 | 30,338 |
| Forsyth | 70.57% | 65,845 | 27.97% | 26,092 | 1.46% | 1,361 | 93,298 |
| Franklin | 86.54% | 7,051 | 12.71% | 1,036 | 0.75% | 61 | 8,148 |
| Fulton | 26.66% | 112,991 | 72.34% | 306,589 | 0.99% | 4,208 | 423,788 |
| Gilmer | 83.70% | 10,471 | 15.32% | 1,917 | 0.98% | 122 | 12,510 |
| Glascock | 91.39% | 1,189 | 8.22% | 107 | 0.38% | 5 | 1,301 |
| Glynn | 63.54% | 20,743 | 35.64% | 11,636 | 0.82% | 269 | 32,648 |
| Gordon | 81.93% | 14,586 | 17.11% | 3,046 | 0.97% | 172 | 17,804 |
| Grady | 67.30% | 5,633 | 32.31% | 2,704 | 0.39% | 33 | 8,370 |
| Greene | 65.10% | 5,856 | 34.39% | 3,093 | 0.51% | 46 | 8,995 |
| Gwinnett | 42.23% | 132,998 | 56.55% | 178,097 | 1.21% | 3,823 | 314,918 |
| Habersham | 83.51% | 12,944 | 15.59% | 2,417 | 0.90% | 139 | 15,500 |
| Hall | 73.35% | 49,442 | 25.50% | 17,187 | 1.15% | 777 | 67,406 |
| Hancock | 24.58% | 872 | 75.14% | 2,666 | 0.28% | 10 | 3,548 |
| Haralson | 87.65% | 9,278 | 11.52% | 1,219 | 0.83% | 88 | 10,585 |
| Harris | 74.03% | 11,834 | 25.15% | 4,021 | 0.82% | 131 | 15,986 |
| Hart | 76.60% | 7,370 | 22.64% | 2,178 | 0.77% | 74 | 9,622 |
| Heard | 83.21% | 3,374 | 16.13% | 654 | 0.67% | 27 | 4,055 |
| Henry | 41.97% | 41,364 | 57.31% | 56,485 | 0.72% | 709 | 98,558 |
| Houston | 57.93% | 34,314 | 41.12% | 24,358 | 0.95% | 560 | 59,232 |
| Irwin | 75.83% | 2,701 | 23.89% | 851 | 0.28% | 10 | 3,562 |
| Jackson | 81.60% | 21,950 | 17.38% | 4,674 | 1.02% | 275 | 26,899 |
| Jasper | 74.52% | 4,430 | 24.96% | 1,484 | 0.52% | 31 | 5,945 |
| Jeff Davis | 82.64% | 3,979 | 16.91% | 814 | 0.46% | 22 | 4,815 |
| Jefferson | 46.95% | 3,177 | 52.67% | 3,564 | 0.38% | 26 | 6,767 |
| Jenkins | 64.66% | 1,857 | 34.96% | 1,004 | 0.38% | 11 | 2,872 |
| Johnson | 72.47% | 2,524 | 27.22% | 948 | 0.32% | 11 | 3,483 |
| Jones | 67.82% | 8,438 | 31.65% | 3,938 | 0.52% | 65 | 12,441 |
| Lamar | 69.39% | 5,105 | 29.84% | 2,195 | 0.77% | 57 | 7,357 |
| Lanier | 71.24% | 1,910 | 28.42% | 762 | 0.34% | 9 | 2,681 |
| Laurens | 65.87% | 12,484 | 33.64% | 6,375 | 0.49% | 93 | 18,952 |
| Lee | 74.66% | 10,120 | 24.76% | 3,356 | 0.58% | 79 | 13,555 |
| Liberty | 36.16% | 5,557 | 63.09% | 9,696 | 0.75% | 115 | 15,368 |
| Lincoln | 69.44% | 2,756 | 29.93% | 1,188 | 0.63% | 25 | 3,969 |
| Long | 64.81% | 2,591 | 34.29% | 1,371 | 0.90% | 36 | 3,998 |
| Lowndes | 57.30% | 20,488 | 42.02% | 15,024 | 0.67% | 241 | 35,753 |
| Lumpkin | 79.23% | 9,157 | 19.28% | 2,228 | 1.50% | 173 | 11,558 |
| Macon | 36.90% | 1,556 | 62.89% | 2,652 | 0.21% | 9 | 4,217 |
| Madison | 78.48% | 9,181 | 20.67% | 2,418 | 0.85% | 100 | 11,699 |
| Marion | 63.87% | 1,872 | 35.38% | 1,037 | 0.75% | 22 | 2,931 |
| McDuffie | 60.54% | 5,323 | 38.98% | 3,427 | 0.48% | 42 | 8,792 |
| McIntosh | 59.50% | 3,218 | 39.96% | 2,161 | 0.54% | 29 | 5,408 |
| Meriwether | 58.88% | 5,093 | 40.47% | 3,501 | 0.65% | 56 | 8,650 |
| Miller | 77.88% | 1,803 | 21.68% | 502 | 0.43% | 10 | 2,315 |
| Mitchell | 56.16% | 4,187 | 43.53% | 3,245 | 0.31% | 23 | 7,455 |
| Monroe | 71.94% | 9,308 | 27.18% | 3,516 | 0.88% | 114 | 12,938 |
| Montgomery | 76.13% | 2,686 | 23.27% | 821 | 0.60% | 21 | 3,528 |
| Morgan | 71.22% | 6,807 | 27.99% | 2,675 | 0.80% | 76 | 9,558 |
| Murray | 85.76% | 9,512 | 13.43% | 1,489 | 0.81% | 90 | 11,091 |
| Muscogee | 38.48% | 24,348 | 60.79% | 38,462 | 0.73% | 462 | 63,272 |
| Newton | 45.08% | 19,449 | 54.27% | 23,412 | 0.65% | 280 | 43,141 |
| Oconee | 69.80% | 14,480 | 29.00% | 6,015 | 1.20% | 249 | 20,744 |
| Oglethorpe | 70.44% | 4,568 | 28.48% | 1,847 | 1.08% | 70 | 6,485 |
| Paulding | 66.53% | 40,784 | 32.56% | 19,959 | 0.92% | 562 | 61,305 |
| Peach | 52.01% | 5,432 | 47.54% | 4,966 | 0.45% | 47 | 10,445 |
| Pickens | 84.80% | 11,331 | 14.23% | 1,901 | 0.97% | 130 | 13,362 |
| Pierce | 88.95% | 6,123 | 10.72% | 738 | 0.33% | 23 | 6,884 |
| Pike | 85.71% | 7,322 | 13.63% | 1,164 | 0.67% | 57 | 8,543 |
| Polk | 79.13% | 10,177 | 20.12% | 2,588 | 0.75% | 96 | 12,861 |
| Pulaski | 69.77% | 2,527 | 29.79% | 1,079 | 0.44% | 16 | 3,622 |
| Putnam | 71.82% | 6,704 | 27.63% | 2,579 | 0.56% | 52 | 9,335 |
| Quitman | 55.53% | 522 | 43.62% | 410 | 0.85% | 8 | 940 |
| Rabun | 80.01% | 6,063 | 18.84% | 1,428 | 1.15% | 87 | 7,578 |
| Randolph | 45.07% | 1,257 | 54.43% | 1,518 | 0.50% | 14 | 2,789 |
| Richmond | 31.47% | 22,076 | 67.75% | 47,531 | 0.78% | 548 | 70,155 |
| Rockdale | 31.93% | 11,703 | 67.45% | 24,725 | 0.62% | 227 | 36,655 |
| Schley | 80.96% | 1,565 | 18.26% | 353 | 0.78% | 15 | 1,933 |
| Screven | 60.36% | 3,268 | 39.36% | 2,131 | 0.28% | 15 | 5,414 |
| Seminole | 66.59% | 2,149 | 32.88% | 1,061 | 0.53% | 17 | 3,227 |
| Spalding | 61.17% | 14,937 | 37.92% | 9,258 | 0.91% | 222 | 24,417 |
| Stephens | 80.62% | 7,326 | 18.62% | 1,692 | 0.76% | 69 | 9,087 |
| Stewart | 41.78% | 760 | 57.89% | 1,053 | 0.33% | 6 | 1,819 |
| Sumter | 48.78% | 5,149 | 50.78% | 5,360 | 0.45% | 47 | 10,556 |
| Talbot | 39.51% | 1,167 | 59.75% | 1,765 | 0.74% | 22 | 2,954 |
| Taliaferro | 38.00% | 350 | 61.67% | 568 | 0.33% | 3 | 921 |
| Tattnall | 76.32% | 5,073 | 23.12% | 1,537 | 0.56% | 37 | 6,647 |
| Taylor | 62.81% | 2,069 | 36.58% | 1,205 | 0.61% | 20 | 3,294 |
| Telfair | 66.77% | 2,425 | 32.79% | 1,191 | 0.44% | 16 | 3,632 |
| Terrell | 45.70% | 1,800 | 53.95% | 2,125 | 0.36% | 14 | 3,939 |
| Thomas | 61.22% | 10,557 | 38.29% | 6,602 | 0.49% | 85 | 17,244 |
| Tift | 69.65% | 9,523 | 29.77% | 4,070 | 0.59% | 80 | 13,673 |
| Toombs | 74.75% | 6,623 | 24.84% | 2,201 | 0.41% | 36 | 8,860 |
| Towns | 81.69% | 5,009 | 17.37% | 1,065 | 0.95% | 58 | 6,132 |
| Treutlen | 68.86% | 1,800 | 30.83% | 806 | 0.31% | 8 | 2,614 |
| Troup | 60.77% | 14,533 | 38.55% | 9,218 | 0.68% | 162 | 23,913 |
| Turner | 62.98% | 2,062 | 36.65% | 1,200 | 0.37% | 12 | 3,274 |
| Twiggs | 52.72% | 1,999 | 46.84% | 1,776 | 0.45% | 17 | 3,792 |
| Union | 83.43% | 9,899 | 15.61% | 1,852 | 0.96% | 114 | 11,865 |
| Upson | 66.83% | 7,063 | 32.58% | 3,443 | 0.59% | 62 | 10,568 |
| Walker | 80.97% | 17,400 | 17.86% | 3,838 | 1.17% | 252 | 21,490 |
| Walton | 76.88% | 29,742 | 22.43% | 8,679 | 0.69% | 265 | 38,686 |
| Ware | 71.66% | 7,894 | 27.84% | 3,067 | 0.50% | 55 | 11,016 |
| Warren | 46.57% | 1,053 | 53.07% | 1,200 | 0.35% | 8 | 2,261 |
| Washington | 50.53% | 4,128 | 49.11% | 4,012 | 0.36% | 29 | 8,169 |
| Wayne | 80.15% | 8,120 | 19.15% | 1,940 | 0.70% | 71 | 10,131 |
| Webster | 59.91% | 659 | 40.00% | 440 | 0.09% | 1 | 1,100 |
| Wheeler | 71.05% | 1,372 | 28.74% | 555 | 0.21% | 4 | 1,931 |
| White | 84.51% | 9,667 | 14.40% | 1,647 | 1.09% | 125 | 11,439 |
| Whitfield | 72.30% | 19,758 | 26.80% | 7,323 | 0.90% | 246 | 27,327 |
| Wilcox | 73.32% | 2,064 | 26.47% | 745 | 0.21% | 6 | 2,815 |
| Wilkes | 58.90% | 2,578 | 40.53% | 1,774 | 0.57% | 25 | 4,377 |
| Wilkinson | 55.64% | 2,373 | 44.01% | 1,877 | 0.35% | 15 | 4,265 |
| Worth | 75.39% | 5,915 | 24.14% | 1,894 | 0.47% | 37 | 7,846 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Burke (largest municipality: Waynesboro)
- Chattahoochee (largest municipality: Cusseta)
- Dooly (largest municipality: Vienna)
- Quitman (largest municipality: Georgetown)
- Twiggs (largest municipality: Jeffersonville)
- Washington (largest municipality: Sandersville)
- Wilkinson (largest municipality: Gordon)
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Cobb (largest municipality: Marietta)
- Gwinnett (largest municipality: Peachtree Corners)
By congressional district
Kemp won eight of 14 congressional districts. Abrams won the other six, including one that elected a Republican.[267]
| District | Kemp | Abrams | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 56.49% | 42.61% | Buddy Carter |
| 2nd | 43.62% | 55.89% | Sanford Bishop |
| 3rd | 64.21% | 34.8% | Drew Ferguson |
| 4th | 20.05% | 79.28% | Hank Johnson |
| 5th | 11.31% | 87.89% | John Lewis |
| 6th | 47.51% | 50.97% | Lucy McBath |
| 7th | 48.64% | 50.03% | Rob Woodall |
| 8th | 64.11% | 35.22% | Austin Scott |
| 9th | 78.82% | 20.13% | Doug Collins |
| 10th | 61.39% | 37.74% | Jody Hice |
| 11th | 59.33% | 39.27% | Barry Loudermilk |
| 12th | 57.69% | 41.58% | Rick W. Allen |
| 13th | 23.28% | 75.99% | David Scott |
| 14th | 75.38% | 23.65% | Tom Graves |
Voter demographics
| Demographic subgroup | Abrams | Kemp | No Answer |
% of Voters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||||
| Men | 46 | 52 | 2 | 46 |
| Women | 51 | 49 | N/A | 54 |
| Age | ||||
| 18–24 years old | 60 | 38 | 2 | 9 |
| 25–29 years old | 72 | 26 | 2 | 5 |
| 30–39 years old | 61 | 38 | 1 | 15 |
| 40–49 years old | 49 | 50 | 1 | 19 |
| 50–64 years old | 41 | 58 | 1 | 29 |
| 65 and older | 40 | 60 | N/A | 22 |
| Race | ||||
| White | 25 | 74 | 1 | 60 |
| Black | 93 | 6 | 1 | 30 |
| Latino | 62 | 37 | 1 | 5 |
| Asian | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2 |
| Other | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3 |
| Race by gender | ||||
| White men | 25 | 73 | 2 | 28 |
| White women | 25 | 75 | N/A | 32 |
| Black men | 88 | 11 | 1 | 14 |
| Black women | 97 | 2 | 1 | 16 |
| Latino men | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2 |
| Latina women | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3 |
| Others | 54 | 44 | 2 | 5 |
| Education | ||||
| High school or less | 38 | 61 | 1 | 30 |
| Some college education | 50 | 48 | 2 | 25 |
| Associate degree | 51 | 48 | 1 | 12 |
| Bachelor's degree | 54 | 45 | 1 | 21 |
| Advanced degree | 60 | 39 | 1 | 12 |
| Education and race | ||||
| White college graduates | 40 | 59 | 1 | 22 |
| White no college degree | 17 | 82 | 1 | 39 |
| Non-white college graduates | 85 | 14 | 1 | 12 |
| Non-white no college degree | 84 | 15 | 1 | 28 |
| Whites by education and gender | ||||
| White women with college degrees | 43 | 57 | N/A | 11 |
| White women without college degrees | 16 | 83 | 1 | 21 |
| White men with college degrees | 38 | 61 | 1 | 11 |
| White men without college degrees | 17 | 81 | 2 | 17 |
| Non-whites | 84 | 15 | 1 | 40 |
| Income | ||||
| Under $30,000 | 65 | 34 | 1 | 20 |
| $30,000–49,999 | 38 | 60 | 2 | 20 |
| $50,000–99,999 | 43 | 57 | N/A | 35 |
| $100,000–199,999 | 41 | 58 | 1 | 18 |
| Over $200,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7 |
| Party ID | ||||
| Democrats | 97 | 2 | 1 | 33 |
| Republicans | 3 | 97 | N/A | 38 |
| Independents | 54 | 44 | 2 | 28 |
| Party by gender | ||||
| Democratic men | 96 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| Democratic women | 98 | 2 | n/a | 21 |
| Republican men | 3 | 97 | N/A | 17 |
| Republican women | 3 | 97 | N/A | 21 |
| Independent men | 55 | 42 | 3 | 17 |
| Independent women | 53 | 45 | 2 | 12 |
| Ideology | ||||
| Liberals | 88 | 11 | 1 | 20 |
| Moderates | 63 | 36 | 1 | 38 |
| Conservatives | 16 | 83 | 1 | 42 |
| Marital status | ||||
| Married | 33 | 66 | 1 | 55 |
| Unmarried | 63 | 36 | 1 | 45 |
| Gender by marital status | ||||
| Married men | 29 | 68 | 3 | 25 |
| Married women | 34 | 65 | 1 | 30 |
| Unmarried men | 58 | 41 | 1 | 21 |
| Unmarried women | 69 | 31 | N/A | 24 |
| First-time midterm election voter | ||||
| Yes | 53 | 46 | 1 | 18 |
| No | 48 | 50 | 2 | 82 |
| Most important issue facing the country | ||||
| Health care | 79 | 20 | 1 | 34 |
| Immigration | 9 | 90 | 1 | 32 |
| Economy | 43 | 57 | N/A | 23 |
| Gun policy | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9 |
| Area type | ||||
| Urban | 70 | 29 | 1 | 22 |
| Suburban | 43 | 56 | 1 | 63 |
| Rural | 42 | 58 | N/A | 15 |
| Source: CNN[268] | ||||
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Kemp retained his office as Georgia Secretary of State throughout the campaign, leading to allegations of a conflict of interest for overseeing an election in which he himself was a candidate. During the campaign, he was called upon by former president and former governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter[269] and the Georgia chapters of the NAACP and Common Cause to resign from the secretariat position. Kemp refused to do so[270] until after he claimed victory, two days following the election. Kemp also accused the state Democratic Party of hacking into the state's voter database a few days before the election; however, an email released shortly after the accusation was made showed the party warning election security experts, highlighting "massive" vulnerabilities within the state's My Voter Page and its online voter registration system, not an attempt to hack the database, as Kemp had claimed.[271]
Irregularities in voter registration occurred prior to the election. Between 2012 and 2018, Kemp's office canceled over 1.4 million voter registrations, with nearly 700,000 cancellations in 2017 alone.[272] Over 300,000 people were removed from the rolls on the grounds that they had moved to a new address when they actually had not.[273] On a single night in July 2017, half a million voters had their registrations canceled. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, election-law experts said that this "may represent the largest mass disenfranchisement in US history."[274] The registrations of 53,000 voters, disproportionately affecting black people, were delayed by Kemp's office for not exactly matching state driver records. After a lawsuit was filed, Kemp agreed to allow flagged voters to vote if they had identification.[275] These irregularities resulted in allegations that Kemp was using voter suppression to increase his chances of winning the contest.[275] Georgia election officials responded to these allegations by stating that any voter flagged for irregularities could still vote, receiving a regular ballot (not a provisional ballot), by providing ID at a valid polling place, as is required of all voters by state law.[276] Concerning the question of why the pending registration status mattered if those voters could vote normally at the polls, critics claimed that learning of this status might discourage those voters from turning out to the polls at all.[277]
The Washington Post reported that "more than 200 polling places" across Georgia were closed in the 2018 election, "primarily in poor and minority neighborhoods. Voters reported long lines, malfunctioning voting machines and other problems that delayed or thwarted voting in those areas."[278] (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that "precinct closures and longer distances likely prevented an estimated 54,000 to 85,000 voters from casting ballots" on the 2018 Election Day.)[279] According to Richard L. Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California at Irvine, "there is no question that Georgia in general and Brian Kemp in particular took steps to make it harder for people to register and vote, and that those people tended to skew Democratic."[280]
On November 12, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Totenberg ruled that Georgia's secretary of state office must take steps to preserve provisional ballots and begin counting them.[281][282][283] On November 13, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May ruled that Gwinnett County violated the Civil Rights Act in rejecting absentee ballots with missing or incorrect specified year of birth of the absentee voter.[281]
On November 16, 2018, Abrams announced that she was ending her campaign. Abrams acknowledged that Kemp would be certified as victor, while emphasizing that her statement was not a concession, saying "I acknowledge that Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified as the victor of the 2018 gubernatorial election. [...] But let’s be clear, this is not a speech of concession because concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper."[7][284][285][286][287] Abrams announced the creation of Fair Fight Action, a voting rights nonprofit organization that sued the secretary of state and state election board in federal court for voter suppression.[288] In February 2021, a federal judge ruled that Fair Fight's claims about voting machines, voter list security, and polling place issues were resolved by changes in Georgia's election law, or invalidated due to lack of standing to sue.[289][290] In April 2021, a judge allowed some claims in the legal challenge to proceed while rejecting others.[291] On September 30, 2022, a federal judge ruled against Fair Fight on the remaining claims, finding that Georgia's voting practices did not violate the Constitution or the Voting Rights Act.[292][293][294][295] According to the judge, the case "resulted in wins and losses for all parties over the course of the litigation and culminated in what is believed to have been the longest voting rights bench trial in the history of the Northern District of Georgia."[296][297][298]
Since losing the election, Abrams has repeatedly claimed that the election was not fairly conducted[299] and has declined to call Kemp the legitimate governor of Georgia.[300] Her position is that Kemp, who oversaw the election in his role as Secretary of State, had a conflict of interest and suppressed turnout by purging nearly 670,000 voter registrations in 2017, and that about 53,000 voter registrations were pending a month before the election.[299][301] She has said, "I have no empirical evidence that I would have achieved a higher number of votes. However, I have sufficient and I think legally sufficient doubt about the process to say that it was not a fair election."[299]
On November 9, 2018, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that its investigation of the 2018 statewide elections in Georgia had found "no evidence ... of systematic malfeasance – or of enough tainted votes to force a runoff election".[302] A follow-up analysis in December 2019 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution found "an estimated 54,000 to 85,000 voters" were impacted by changes, such as precinct closures in the aftermath of Shelby County v. Holder. However, it found that Abrams would have need up to 67% of the votes at "ideal voting locations" for a runoff to occur.[279]
In his 2020 book, University of California law professor and election law expert Richard L. Hasen described Kemp as "perhaps the most incompetent state chief elections officer" in the 2018 elections and said it was "hard to tell" which of Kemp's "actions were due to incompetence and which were attempted suppression."[303]
According to Washington Post fact checker Glenn Kessler writing in September 2022, Abrams repeatedly falsely claimed that she "won" the election, that the election was "rigged", that it was "stolen", that it was not "free and fair", and that Kemp had "cheated". Kessler said that "Abrams played up claims the election was stolen until such tactics became untenable for anyone who claims to be an advocate for American democratic norms and values".[284]
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