What you need to know about Georgia’s primary as Republicans eye Senate | US Midterm Elections 2026 News

The southern state of Georgia is due to hold its general election on Tuesday, preparing for the November mid-term elections in the United States.

Among the most closely watched races is the Republican race to nominate Democratic challenger Senator Jon Ossoff, whose 2020 victory came among liberals in a state dominated by conservatives.

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Also riding the ticket will be the election of a representative of the democratic leadership. Many in the party see the opening of the governor’s house this year as an opportunity to win the highest office in the state.

In the meantime, issues of affordability, electoral management and abuse have dominated the primary race. Here’s what you need to know:

Who is running in the US Senate race?

Incumbent Senator Jon Ossoff, a Democrat, is running unopposed in his party’s primary and is guaranteed to run in the general election.

The Republican field is very crowded. Five Republicans are vying to replace Ossoff, including two members of the US House of Representatives: Buddy Carter and Mike Collins.

Both Carter and Collins have joined Donald Trump in their speeches, with their campaigns focusing on who will be the US President’s running mate. Trump has not endorsed the race.

Collins led the group in funding and endorsements, but is under pressure from an ongoing investigation into the misuse of Congressional funds.

Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who has more difficult relationship and Mr. Trump, admitted American college football coach Derek Dooley, who has positioned himself as a more moderate option than Carter and Collins.

The finalists in the race are former US Army general Jonathan McColumn and businessman John Coyne. If McColumn is elected in November, he would be the second black Republican in the Senate.

Who is running for governor of Georgia?

In the gubernatorial race, Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta and a staffer in former President Joe Biden’s administration, is leading the Democratic majority.

Lance Bottoms was seen as a defense against Trump when he served as mayor of Atlanta, rejecting the president’s false claims that the results of the 2020 election were falsified.

His opponents in the Democratic primary include former DeKalb County Executive Michael Thurmond and former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, a former Republican.

Both men have made themselves more gentle than Lance Bottoms. Running to his left, as a progressive, is Senator Jason Esteves.

With the incumbent, Republican Governor Kemp, facing a narrow margin, the race represents a rare opportunity for Democrats in the general election to change office. Georgia has not had a Democratic governor since 2003.

On the Republican side are billionaire Rick Jackson and Trump-endorsed candidate Burt Jones, the state’s second-in-command.

Among the nominees is Republican Brad Raffensperger, the state’s chief election officer well known represented Trump following the 2020 election, as well as Attorney General Chris Carr.

Why is the Georgia Legislature important?

Democrats have settled the controversy in Georgia’s 2020 US Senate race.

Both US Senate seats were up for grabs that year, after he unexpectedly resigned. Ossoff beat the Republican incumbent to pick up one of those seats, while his fellow Democrat Raphael Warnock won a special election to flip another seat.

Their victory gave Democrats a brief majority in the US Senate. He came back amid a sea change in Georgian politics.

That same year, Biden defeated Trump in Georgia, marking the first time since 1992 that a Democratic candidate won the state.

The election raised the prospect of Georgia – with a majority of black people demographic change – to be a strong democratic country. But the 2024 presidential race ended that idea, as Trump narrowly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, in the district.

This year’s midterm elections will be seen as a sign of how the country’s political winds are blowing.

Democrats hope to retake the Senate majority from Republicans, and retaining Ossoff’s seat will be critical to that goal.

A third of the chamber’s 100 senators are up for re-election this year, with races favoring Republicans.

Currently, Republicans hold majorities in the US House and Senate. But if Democrats win control of either chamber, it will change Trump’s last two years, which could undermine his agenda.

What are the requirements for Georgia state competitions?

The national championships will be important for several reasons.

Georgia was one of the main targets of Trump’s claim that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen”. After the race, he pushed the election chief Raffensperger to “get” more votes on his behalf.

Republican officials pushed back at the time, but Trump’s claims, which are not supported by evidence, have helped some Republicans.

The officials who are elected in this year’s midterm races may have an influence on how the election is conducted.

It is not only the control of the governor’s office in the election, but also other senior government positions, including the representative of the state and the secretary of state, who will no longer be in office.

Another difficult issue that candidates for government are facing is the issue of preventing division.

Kemp, the outgoing governor, called a special session in June to redraw Georgia’s congressional map ahead of the 2028 election, in light of a recent Supreme Court decision that struck down a major part of the Voting Rights Act.

That would advance a key priority under Trump: The president has forced Republicans across the country to redraw their congressional maps to strengthen the partisan divide.

But critics have warned that the strategy could be used to reduce Black voting power in the state. The length of the run in Georgia may be determined by the results of the mid-November races.

So Democrats have highlighted the issue as they seek more government positions and more federal legislative power.

What do the votes say?

In the Republican Senate primary, recent polls show Collins leading with about 22 percent, followed by Carter at 12.5 percent and Dooley at 11 percent. If no candidate breaks the 50 percent threshold, the race will end on June 16.

Whoever wins the Republican primary will face Senator Ossoff in November.

Both parties are currently holding primaries for the governorship race. In the Democratic primary, Keisha Lance Bottoms has nearly 40 years of support. This puts her ahead of her closest competitor, Thurmond.

On the Republican side, billionaire Jackson has been leading in the polls, closely followed by Jones.

What other colors are on the ballot?

Several other brands are on the ballot this year.

All 14 US federal seats are on the ballot. There are also elections for the Georgia state Senate and House, as well as races for statewide commissioner positions and judicial seats on all state and district courts.

When do polls open and close in Georgia?

Georgians are already voting, with a record one million people participating in early voting.

On election day, polls will be open from 7am to 7pm local time (11:00 GMT to 23:00 GMT).

When will the Georgia results be announced?

The Associated Press will begin releasing race results after the polls are over, having determined that no one has a clear shot at winning.