With early voting set to start next week, Keisha Lance Bottoms is leading the Democratic pool for governor, with Rick Jackson and Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones leading the Republicans.
Lance Bottoms, who served as the mayor of Atlanta until 2022, has a campaign primarily focusing on affordability and has vowed to lower health care costs by expanding Medicaid.
The Democratic primary isn't as close as the almost neck-and-neck Republican primary, with Lance Bottoms dominating most polls by over 20 percentage points. However, this still may not be enough of an advantage for her to avoid a runoff.
To become the Democratic candidate for governor, Lance Bottoms must receive over 50% of the vote in the May 19 primary. If not, the top two candidates will advance to a June 16 runoff.
Geoff Duncan, the former lieutenant governor of Georgia who switched parties after clashing with President Donald Trump, could be a viable candidate for that second spot. However, former chief executive officer of DeKalb County Michael Thurmond still has his hat in the ring.
In the Republican primary, a runoff is much more likely, with political outsider Jackson and Lt. Gov. Jones almost even in the most recent polls.
Jackson recently criticized Lance Bottoms in a television appearance posted to his X account for her past leadership and views on the Riley Gaines Act, which prevents transgender athletes from competing in women's sports.
Keisha Lance Bottoms thinks boys should play girls’ sports. That’s just crazy, but on top of that, when Atlanta needed her, she let the city burn.
Let me be clear: There are two genders, and they are God-given. And I will never let Keisha Lance Bottoms do to the entire state… pic.twitter.com/NiifwmJ2zW
— Rick Jackson (@RickJacksonGA) April 21, 2026
In a recent debate, when asked if she would have signed the act, she said, "I don't support the government making decisions about who should compete in athletics."
She said the decision should be left to the respective athletic associations.
Rick Jackson's campaign has emphasized his status as a political outsider, and like Lance Bottoms promises to make Georgia more affordable, but he has vowed to do so through cuts to property and income taxes.
Jones, who is endorsed by President Trump, is focusing on many of the same issues, like income tax cuts, while promising to bolster Georgia's workforce and help small businesses by cutting red tape.
Early voting in both primaries starts Monday, April 27, and runs through May 15.
