Georgia Candidates Vie for Senate, Governor Primaries

Crowded fields of Republicans and Democrats compete for crucial swing state seats

Published on Mar. 7, 2026

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A two-month sprint to the May 19 primary elections in Georgia's governor and U.S. Senate races has begun as the final candidates qualified Friday for crucial posts in the closely contested swing state. Republicans are touting their support for former President Donald Trump and focusing more on slamming the Democratic incumbent than each other, while candidates to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp are jockeying for position in wide-open Republican and Democratic fields.

Why it matters

Georgia is a key swing state, and the outcomes of these primary elections will have significant implications for the balance of power in the U.S. Senate and the direction of Georgia's state government. The crowded fields and divisive rhetoric suggest a heated campaign season ahead.

The details

In the U.S. Senate race, incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff is opposed by several Republicans including U.S. Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, as well as former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley. The Republican candidates are focused on criticizing Ossoff and aligning themselves with Trump. In the governor's race, a wide-open field of eight Republicans and eight Democrats are competing, with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (endorsed by Trump) and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (seen as the Democratic frontrunner) among the most prominent candidates.

  • Candidates qualified for the races on Friday, March 6, 2026.
  • The primaries are scheduled for May 19, 2026.

The players

Jon Ossoff

The incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator from Georgia who is seeking reelection.

Mike Collins

A Republican U.S. Representative running to unseat Ossoff.

Buddy Carter

A Republican U.S. Representative running to unseat Ossoff.

Derek Dooley

A former University of Tennessee football coach running as a Republican to unseat Ossoff.

Burt Jones

The Republican Lieutenant Governor of Georgia running for governor, endorsed by former President Trump.

Keisha Lance Bottoms

The former Democratic mayor of Atlanta, seen as the frontrunner in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.

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What they’re saying

“We need to be spending every minute that we got making sure that this country is safe, making sure it's productive, and making sure that it is affordable to people here.”

— Mike Collins, Republican U.S. Representative (wbal.com)

“It's important we have a candidate that can appeal to a lot of these crossover voters, people who don't always vote in the midterms, who don't always vote Republican.”

— Derek Dooley, Former University of Tennessee Football Coach (wbal.com)

“The most important thing right now is how do you kind of deal with this affordability crisis and you create good paying jobs.”

— Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State (wbal.com)

What’s next

The Republican and Democratic primaries in Georgia's U.S. Senate and gubernatorial races will be held on May 19, 2026. The winners will then advance to the general election in November 2026.

The takeaway

The crowded and contentious primary fields in these crucial Georgia races suggest a hard-fought campaign season ahead, with Republicans focused on aligning themselves with Trump and Democrats seeking to appeal to a broad general election audience. The outcomes will have significant implications for the balance of power in Washington and the direction of Georgia's state government.