The seat for Georgia’s first congressional district is set to be vacant as Rep. Buddy Carter (R) challenges Senator Jon Ossoff (D) for the 2026 Senate race. Currently, three Republican candidates are looking to replace Rep. Carter and maintain control of the House.
The current frontrunner is Jim Kingston, an insurance executive and son of longtime Georgia Rep. Jack Kingston (R). Kingston is considered the frontrunner due to the enormous amount of fundraising by his campaign.
At his campaign kickoff event, Kingston’s team raised $657,000, increasing his overall total to $870,000. Kingston has the support of old-guard Coastal Republicans as his campaign bears the mark of legacy.
Despite never having held office or even running for any elected office, the network of contacts amassed by Kingston’s father seems to be paying off.
The second most notable candidate is the Chatham County Commissioner, Pat Farrell. Farrell has taken on the brand of a ‘strong, reliable conservative,’ who will continue Carter’s work in Congress. So far, Farrell’s campaign has raised $276,000.
At his campaign launch event, Farrel pledged, “I will be the conservative voice in a crazy world that needs more conservatives to speak up about family values and what is important to us, the American dream.”
Farrell’s current appeal to voters is his pledge to cut income taxes and amend the Constitution to require a balanced budget. He publicly supports eliminating the Department of Education and the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Lastly, former gubernatorial candidate Kandiss Taylor raised $8,000. Her campaign is anti-establishment, and this can be seen by her comments on Kingston’s campaign.
Taylor derided Kingston for relying on his father’s legacy and networking to get started. She also criticized the record of Jack Kingston, stating, “We’re going to have someone to go to D.C. to represent our interest, not foreign nations, because his daddy’s been doing lobbying for foreign nations.”
Taylor declared, “We’re not interested in any of that. The Kingston legacy is done in the 1st District.”
Besides the frontrunners, there is one more name to consider. Bryan County Chairman Carter Infinger has openly considered running, but has yet to commit. He commented, “I'm just kind of looking at it and seeing if it's a good option for me and my family to do it.”
Dome Politics is also learning that there could be at least two more candidates, including a former military officer.
