2022 Georgia state elections
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Several elections took place in the U.S. state of Georgia in 2022. The general election was held on November 8, 2022. A runoff election for one of Georgia's seats in the United States Senate was held on December 6, 2022. The runoff was scheduled because none of the candidates for Senate received 50% of the statewide vote in the general election. In addition to the Senate seat, all of Georgia's seats in the United States House of Representatives were up for election. Also up for election were all of Georgia's executive officers and legislative seats, as well as one seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission. The Republican Party decisively won every single statewide office in Georgia except for the Federal Senate race which narrowly went Democratic in 2022.
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This was the first election following the 2020 United States redistricting cycle.
Federal offices
Summarize
Perspective
United States House of Representatives
Following the 2020 election, Democrats held their largest share of Georgia congressional seats since 2008 (and largest in the post-2010 redistricting cycle), with the gain of the 7th district by Carolyn Bourdeaux. In addition, the number of women representing Georgia grew from one to four with the re-election of Democrat Lucy McBath and the elections of Democrats Bordeaux, Nikema Williams and Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, resulting in the first Georgia delegation with more than one woman in membership.
United States Senate
Incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock won the 2020–2021 special election against incumbent Republican Kelly Loeffler to fill the remainder of former Sen. Johnny Isakson's term. (Isakson had resigned at the end of 2019, and Loeffler was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp following Isakson's resignation.) No candidate in the open election on November 3 received the 50% required by Georgia law to avoid a runoff, a type of election colloquially known as a "jungle primary"[1]—Warnock received just 32.9% of the vote—and so a runoff election between Warnock and Loeffler was held on January 5, 2021, which Warnock won with 51% of the vote.
Former Republican senator David Perdue, who lost his race to Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff in 2021, filed paperwork to run for this seat.[2] A week after filing the paperwork, however, Perdue announced that he would not pursue another race for the Senate.[3] Loeffler considered running again, while former U.S. Representative Doug Collins declined to run after heavy speculation that he would enter the race.[4][5] Herschel Walker, a professional football player, announced in August 2021 that he would join the Republican primary.[6]
Governor
Governor Brian Kemp was elected in 2018 with 50.2% of the vote. He ran for re-election,[7] facing primary challenges from former U.S. Senator David Perdue[8] and several other candidates.
Stacey Abrams, former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives and Democratic nominee for governor in 2018, ran unchallenged for the Democratic nomination.[9]
Kemp easily won reelection, receiving 53.4% to Abrams’ 45.9% (7.5%).
Lieutenant governor
Secretary of state
Incumbent secretary of state Brad Raffensperger ran for re-election,[10] facing primary challenges from Republican Congressman Jody Hice[11] and former Alpharetta mayor David Belle Isle.[12]
State Representative Bee Nguyen,[13] former Cobb County Democratic Party Chairman, Dr. Michael Owens,[14] former Darton State College professor Manswell Peterson (withdrawn),[15] former Fulton County Commission Chair John Eaves,[16] and former Georgia State Senator and Mayor of Milledgeville Floyd L. Griffin Jr.[17] all declared their candidacies for the Democratic nomination.
Attorney general
Republican incumbent attorney general Chris Carr ran for re-election.[18]
State Senator Jen Jordan ran for the Democratic nomination.[19] Charlie Bailey, former Fulton County senior assistant district attorney and 2018 Democratic nominee for attorney general, withdrew as a candidate in this race to run for lieutenant governor.[20][21]
Labor commissioner
Summarize
Perspective
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  Thompson: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% >90% Bodie: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican Mark Butler was eligible to seek a fourth term in office, but chose to retire.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bruce Thompson, state senator[22][23]
Eliminated in primary
Declined
- Mark Butler, incumbent labor commissioner[22][23]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Kartik Bhatt |
Mike Coan |
Bruce Thompson |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landmark Communications (R)[26] | May 22, 2022 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 4% | 18% | 38% | 41% |
| ARW Strategies (R)[27] | April 30 – May 1, 2022 | 600 (LV) | ± 4.0% | 4% | 6% | 11% | 79% |
| Landmark Communications (R)[28] | April 9–10, 2022 | 660 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 4% | 6% | 13% | 77% |
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bruce Thompson | 637,857 | 62.65% | |
| Republican | Mike Coan | 312,842 | 30.73% | |
| Republican | Kartik Bhatt | 67,407 | 6.62% | |
| Total votes | 1,018,106 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- William Boddie, state representative[30][23]
Eliminated in runoff
Eliminated in initial primary
- Thomas Dean, courier[32]
- Lester Jackson, state senator[33][22][23]
- Nadia Surrency, entrepreneur and philanthropist[32]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William Boddie | 184,446 | 27.67% | |
| Democratic | Nicole Horn | 167,442 | 25.12% | |
| Democratic | Lester Jackson | 129,109 | 19.37% | |
| Democratic | Nadia Surrency | 119,582 | 17.94% | |
| Democratic | Thomas Dean | 66,107 | 9.92% | |
| Total votes | 666,686 | 100.0% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William Boddie | 157,153 | 62.26% | |
| Democratic | Nicole Horn | 95,262 | 37.74% | |
| Total votes | 252,415 | 100.0% | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
General election
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bruce Thompson | 2,030,170 | 52.08% | −0.38% | |
| Democratic | William Boddie | 1,766,894 | 45.33% | −2.21% | |
| Libertarian | Emily Anderson | 100,960 | 2.59% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 3,898,024 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
State Superintendent of Schools
Summarize
Perspective
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  Woods: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% >90% Thomas Searcy: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican superintendent Richard Woods sought a third term in office.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Richard Woods, incumbent superintendent[38]
Eliminated in primary
- John Barge, former superintendent, candidate for Governor of Georgia in 2014, candidate for superintendent in 2018, and candidate for U.S. House in 2020[39]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
John Barge |
Richard Woods |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landmark Communications (R)[28] | April 9–10, 2022 | 660 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 17% | 30% | 53% |
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Woods (incumbent) | 802,260 | 72.61% | |
| Republican | John Barge | 302,681 | 27.39% | |
| Total votes | 1,104,941 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Alisha Thomas Searcy, former state representative (2003–2015) and candidate for State School Superintendent in 2014[40]
Eliminated in primary
- Currey Hitchens, lawyer[40]
- Jaha Howard, Cobb County school board member[41]
- James Morrow Jr., teacher[40]
Withdrew
- Everton Blair, member and former chair of the Gwinnett County school board[42]
Endorsements
Everton Blair (withdrawn)
Federal politicians
- Lucy McBath, U.S. representative for Georgia's 6th congressional district[43]
State legislators
- Billy Mitchell, state representative[citation needed]
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alisha Thomas Searcy | 382,792 | 56.98% | |
| Democratic | Jaha Howard | 100,675 | 14.99% | |
| Democratic | James Morrow, Jr. | 97,821 | 14.56% | |
| Democratic | Currey Hitchens | 90,514 | 13.47% | |
| Total votes | 671,802 | 100.0% | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Did not file
- Ken Pullin, former Republican state representative[44]
General election
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
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| Richard Woods | Alisha Thomas Searcy | |||||
| 1 | Oct. 17, 2022 | Atlanta Press Club | Jeff Hullinger | YouTube | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Woods (incumbent) | 2,115,728 | 54.19% | +1.17% | |
| Democratic | Alisha Thomas Searcy | 1,788,671 | 45.81% | −1.17% | |
| Total votes | 3,904,399 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner
Summarize
Perspective
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  King: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Laws Robinson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican commissioner John King, who was appointed to the position in 2019 after the resignation of Jim Beck, ran for a full term.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Eliminated in primary
- Ben Cowart, property developer[46]
- Patrick Witt, former Trump administration official (previously ran for U.S. House)[47]
Endorsements
Patrick Witt
Executive branch officials
- Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States (2017–2021)[46]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Ben Cowart |
John King |
Patrick Witt |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landmark Communications (R)[28] | April 9–10, 2022 | 660 (LV) | ± 3.8% | 5% | 25% | 6% | 64% |
| University of Georgia[48] | March 20 – April 8, 2022 | ~329 (LV) | ± 5.4% | 10% | 11% | 8% | 71% |
| Clout Research (R)[49][A] | March 5–7, 2022 | 599 (LV) | ± 4.0% | – | 31% | 5% | 64% |
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John King (incumbent) | 780,649 | 70.58% | |
| Republican | Patrick Witt | 185,257 | 16.75% | |
| Republican | Ben Cowart | 140,150 | 12.67% | |
| Total votes | 1,106,056 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Janice Laws Robinson, insurance broker[46]
Eliminated in runoff
- Raphael Baker, insurance broker[46]
Eliminated in initial primary
- Matthew Wilson, state representative[50][51]
Endorsements
Matthew Wilson
State officials
- Roy Barnes, former governor of Georgia[52]
- Sherry Boston, DeKalb County District Attorney[52]
State legislators
- Shelly Hutchinson, state representative[52]
- Dewey McClain, state representative[52]
- Bee Nguyen, state representative[52]
- Sam Park, state representative[52]
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Janice Laws Robinson | 326,524 | 48.70% | |
| Democratic | Raphael Baker | 221,783 | 33.08% | |
| Democratic | Matthew Wilson | 122,192 | 18.22% | |
| Total votes | 670,499 | 100.0% | ||
Runoff results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Janice Laws Robinson | 158,734 | 63.74% | |
| Democratic | Raphael Baker | 90,317 | 36.26% | |
| Total votes | 249,051 | 100.0% | ||
General election
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
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| John King | Janice Laws Robinson | |||||
| 1 | Oct. 17, 2022 | Atlanta Press Club | Jeff Hullinger | YouTube | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John King (incumbent) | 2,107,388 | 54.10% | +3.73% | |
| Democratic | Janice Laws Robinson | 1,788,136 | 45.90% | −1.09% | |
| Total votes | 3,895,524 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Agriculture Commissioner
Summarize
Perspective
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  Harper: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% >90% Hemingway: 40-50% 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% 80-90% >90% | |||||||||||||||||
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Incumbent Republican commissioner Gary Black was eligible to seek a fourth term in office, but instead chose to run for U.S. Senate.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Tyler Harper, state senator[53]
Declined
- Gary Black, incumbent commissioner (ran for U.S. Senate)[54]
Endorsements
Tyler Harper
Governors
- Roy Barnes, former governor of Georgia (1999–2003)[55] (Democrat)
State legislators
- John Albers, state senator[56]
- Jason Anavitarte, state senator[56]
- Brandon Beach, state senator[56]
- Matt Brass, state senator[56]
- Dean Burke, state senator[56]
- Max Burns, state senator[56]
- Bill Cowsert, state senator[56]
- Clint Dixon, state senator[56]
- Greg Dolezal, state senator[56]
- Mike Dugan, majority leader of the Georgia Senate[56]
- Frank Ginn, state senator[56]
- Steve Gooch, state senator[56]
- Russ Goodman, state senator[56]
- Marty Harbin, state senator[56]
- Bo Hatchett, state senator[56]
- Billy Hickman, state senator[56]
- Chuck Hufstetler, state senator[56]
- Burt Jones, state senator and candidate for lieutenant governor in 2022[56]
- John Kennedy, state senator[56]
- Kay Kirkpatrick, state senator[56]
- Sheila McNeill, state senator[56]
- Jeff Mullis, state senator[56]
- Chuck Payne, state senator[56]
- Randy Robertson, state senator[56]
- Brian Strickland, state senator[56]
- Carden Summers, state senator[56]
- Lindsey Tippins, state senator[56]
- Ben Watson, state senator[56]
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tyler Harper | 1,029,564 | 100.0% | |
| Total votes | 1,029,564 | 100.0% | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Nakita Hemingway, cut-flower farmer[57]
Eliminated in primary
- Winfred Dukes, state representative[58]
- Fred Swann, mushroom farmer and nominee for agriculture commissioner in 2018[59]
Did not file
Endorsements
Winfred Dukes
Statewide politicians
Nakita Hemingway
State legislators
- Donna McLeod, state representative[57]
- Curt Thompson, former state senator[57]
Political parties
Organizations
Primary results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nakita Hemingway | 375,435 | 56.25% | |
| Democratic | Winfred Dukes | 190,936 | 28.61% | |
| Democratic | Fred Swann | 101,093 | 15.15% | |
| Total votes | 667,464 | 100.0% | ||
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
General election
Debate
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Republican | Democratic | Libertarian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Key: P Participant A Absent N Not invited I Invited W Withdrawn |
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| Tyler Harper | Nakita Hemingway | David Raudabaugh | |||||
| 1 | Oct. 17, 2022 | Atlanta Press Club | Condace Pressley | YouTube | P | P | P |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tyler Harper | 2,068,892 | 52.97% | −0.11% | |
| Democratic | Nakita Hemingway | 1,751,214 | 44.84% | −2.08% | |
| Libertarian | David Raudabaugh | 85,656 | 2.19% | N/A | |
| Total votes | 3,905,762 | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Public Service Commission
Summarize
Perspective
On August 19, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling by Judge Steven D. Grimberg in the case Rose v. Raffensperger postponing both Georgia Public Service Commission elections which were due to be held on November 8, 2022.[61] As a result, the following nominees for Districts 2 and 3 were removed from the general election ballot.[62][63]
District 2
Incumbent Republican Commissioner Tim Echols ran for re-election.[64]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Tim Echols, incumbent commissioner[65]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Patty Durand, former president of the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative[65]
Withdrew
- Russell Edwards, Athens-Clarke County commissioner[65] (endorsed Durand, remained on ballot)[66]
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Colin McKinney, physician[65]
District 3 (special)
On July 21, 2021, Republican Fitz Johnson was appointed by Governor Kemp to fill the vacancy created when incumbent commissioner Chuck Eaton resigned after being appointed to the Fulton County Superior Court. Johnson would run in the special election to serve the remainder of Eaton's term.[67]
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Fitz Johnson, incumbent commissioner[65]
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Sheila Edwards, public relations professional and community activist[65]
Eliminated in primary
General Assembly
All 56 State Senate and 180 State House seats were up for election. Republicans retained their majorities in both houses, though Democrats gained two seats in the Georgia House of Representatives and one in the Georgia Senate.
District attorneys
9 out of 49 judicial circuits held elections for district attorney.
Judicial elections
Three seats on the Supreme Court of Georgia were up for nonpartisan statewide election to succeed justices David Nahmias, Carla W. McMillian and Shawn Ellen LaGrua.
Local elections
During the regular primary, most counties and several consolidated city-county governments held nonpartisan elections for mayor, select city council or county commission seats, and select board of education seats, including Columbus, Athens, and Augusta.
Notes
Partisan clients
References
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