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MIDTERMS 2026 - GOVERNOR

Georgia

TOSS UP R-held, open seat

Election day is Tuesday, November 3 - 7 days away.

DEMOCRAT

Keisha Lance Bottoms

Former mayor of Atlanta. source

REPUBLICAN

Rick Jackson

Healthcare executive and billionaire who spent at least $108 million of his own money to win the Republican nomination. source

Where they differ

Only issues they disagree on. Each position is something the candidate said, voted for or published, linked to where.

State taxes

BOTTOMS

Pledged to suspend the state's grocery tax. source

JACKSON

Pledged to cut the state income tax in his first term. source

Medicaid and health coverage

BOTTOMS

Pledges to expand Medicaid. source

JACKSON

Wants to expand coverage without losing the $4.5 billion the state receives, and promises price-transparency technology. source

Teachers and schools

BOTTOMS

Wants to raise starting teacher pay to $60,000 and supports free technical college. source

JACKSON

Pledged to remove administrative burdens on teachers and bring technical jobs into schools earlier. source

Data centers

BOTTOMS

Calls for a pause on new data center construction. source

JACKSON

Would approve projects only with local approval, strict EPA standards and discounted utility bills for nearby consumers. source

License plate cameras (Flock)

BOTTOMS

Would support a moratorium on new installations. source

JACKSON

Would not place a moratorium because of possible crime increases. source

Abortion

BOTTOMS

Supports repealing Georgia's abortion restrictions (the "heartbeat law") and says she would work to restore protections that existed under Roe v. Wade. source

JACKSON

Supports Georgia's current abortion law, including its exceptions for rape, incest and cases where the life of the mother is at risk. source

Latest polling

AJC/UGA School of Public and International Affairs (Oct 7-15, 2026, 1,000 likely voters, +/-3.1): Jackson 46%, Bottoms 45%, 8% undecided. source

Georgia right now

How the state is doing going into the vote, from the people who count it.

JOBLESS RATE

3.3%

US: 4.2%

September 2026, seasonally adjusted, preliminary. Source: BLS

GAS, REGULAR

$3.64

US: $4.27

State average on 2026-10-27. Source: AAA

Think you know how Georgia goes? Call it on the map and see how many governorships each party ends up with.

Open the map

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Keisha Lance Bottoms by Executive Office of the President of the United States, Public domain; Rick Jackson by Cherie Martin, CC BY 4.0.

Positions checked 2026-10-23. Things they agree on are left out on purpose. Spot something wrong? Use the feedback button and we will fix it.