2026 Georgia gubernatorial election

The 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election will take place on November 3, 2026 to elect the governor of Georgia. Incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp will be term-limited by the Georgia Constitution in 2026, and cannot seek re-election to a third consecutive term.^[1]

2026 Georgia gubernatorial election

← 2022 November 3, 2026 2030 →

Party Republican Democratic

Incumbent Governor Brian Kemp Republican

Background

Though Georgia is currently a purple state at the federal level (having voted very close to the nation as a whole in Donald Trump's 2024 win), it maintains a slightly red lean at the state level, with Republicans holding all state seats by single digits in the 2022 midterms, in which Governor Brian Kemp was re-elected against Democrat Stacey Abrams by 7.5% and with 53.4% of the vote,^[2] a considerable increase from his 1.3-point victory against Abrams four years earlier.

Republican primary

Candidates

Publicly expressed interest

• Chris Carr, Georgia Attorney General (2016–present)^[3]
• Burt Jones, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia (2023–present)^[3]
• Kelly Loeffler, former U.S. senator (2020–2021)^[4][3]
• Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State (2019–present)^[3]

Potential

• Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. representative from Georgia's 14th congressional district (2021–present)^[5]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[lower-alpha 1]	Margin of error	Chris Carr	Burt Jones	Undecided
20/20 Insight	September 25–28, 2023	245 (LV)	± 6.3%	9%	18%	73%

Hypothetical polling

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

• Olujimi Brown, church founder^[6]

Publicly expressed interest

• Stacey Abrams, founder of Fair Fight Action, former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives (2011–2017), and nominee for governor in 2018 and 2022^[7]
• Jason Carter, former state senator (2010–2015), grandson of former governor and president Jimmy Carter, and nominee for governor in 2014^[8]
• Lucy McBath, U.S. representative for Georgia's 7th congressional district (2019–present)^[3]

Potential

• Michael Thurmond, DeKalb County CEO^[3]

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size[lower-alpha 1]	Margin of error	Stacey Abrams	Other	Undecided
20/20 Insight	September 25–28, 2023	247 (LV)	± 6.2%	52%	34%	14%

Hypothetical polling

Notes

1. Key:
   A – all adults
   RV – registered voters
   LV – likely voters
   V – unclear

See also

• 2026 United States gubernatorial elections
• 2026 United States Senate election in Georgia

References

1. Van Brimmer, Adam (January 15, 2023). "Kemp inauguration: Governor's bid for higher office begins. Will it be Senate? President?". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
2. Bluestein, Greg (March 16, 2023). "Abrams says she will 'likely run again.' That doesn't excite some Democrats". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
3. Bluestein, Greg (May 29, 2024). "US Rep. Lucy McBath says she's open to 2026 bid for Georgia governor". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
4. Gillespie, Brandon (May 23, 2024). "Biden's Abortion Script Flipped by Businesswoman's Boost to Pro-Life Groups". FOX News. Retrieved May 23, 2024.
5. Tran, Ken; Cruz, Melissa (May 24, 2024). "After speaker defeat, Marjorie Taylor Greene is back stirring the pot: What's next?". USA Today. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
6. Poole, Shelia (August 29, 2024). "Impact Church's former pastor, Olu Brown, announces bid for Georgia governor". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
7. Merchant, Zach (August 25, 2024). "Georgia Democrat Stacey Abrams not ruling out another run for office, says 'all options are on the table'". WXIA-TV. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
8. Merchant, Zach (June 2, 2024). "Jason Carter discusses family legacy, potential return to politics". 11Alive. Retrieved June 2, 2024.