Who's running for governor? An early look at the 2026 contenders
An sneak-peek at the 2026 race for Georgia's top job
We may be a year away from the election to become Georgia’s 84th governor, but candidates are already starting to make their moves.
With term limits preventing popular Republican Gov. Brian Kemp from running for re-election, both Democrats and Republicans are expected to face competitive primaries as the race for the state’s top job is slowly starting to take shape.
Republicans have a packed bench of statewide constitutional officers eager for the promotion of a lifetime. But we have all seen how powerful (and oftentimes polarizing) President Donald Trump and his endorsements can be in these contests, and one of his top Georgia allies is expected to enter the race in the coming months.
The Democratic field is less certain. The party has not won a race for governor since before the turn of the century, and Trump’s return to the White House has left them searching for both new leaders and a new identity. Still, several familiar names are hoping that the Democratic drought in Atlanta is nearing its end — and that they will be the ones who end it.
Republicans certain to run
The first major candidate from either party entered the 2026 contest shortly after votes had been counted in last year’s presidential election. Attorney General Chris Carr announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination last November, hoping to get a head start on fundraising. A by-the-book conservative, Carr was once a top aide to the late Sen. Johnny Isakson before being named the state’s top cop in 2016 by then-Gov. Nathan Deal despite his thin legal resume. He has since been elected to two terms.
Carr’s early start could prove critical because many of his likely rivals will have built-in political and fundraising weapons at their disposal. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent Peach State partners, is expected to enter the contest this spring. Heir to a massive petroleum empire in Butts County, the 46-year-old Jones ascended to the state’s No. 2 post in 2022 and is likely to rely heavily on his family’s deep pockets just as he has in his previous political campaigns.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger could also tap into his personal wealth to mount a statewide campaign. An engineer by trade, Raffensperger has gained prominence for his role in overseeing Georgia’s elections. But President Trump and his influence will be a determining factor in a close primary. Expect his public clashes with Raffensperger, Carr and other state officials — particularly after the 2020 election — to all be rehashed if things come down to the wire.
Democrats expressing interest
As Republican candidates take steps toward launching campaigns, a murkier field is taking shape on the Democratic side. The party got some news last week when former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms told WSB-TV that she is eyeing a return to state politics after working in the Biden White House. “When I left the mayor’s office, I always said ‘Never say never,’” she said regarding her political future before noting that there will be an open race for governor next year. But Republicans will waste no time attacking her tumultuous tenure as mayor, which was highlighted by a citywide cyberattack, social and pandemic unrest in the summer of 2020 and a rift over violent crime that nearly split the city in half.
Jason Carter is also said to be looking at a comeback of his own. Carter, the grandson of the late former president and the party’s 2014 nominee for governor, went viral on social media this month after delivering a touching eulogy at his grandfather’s funeral. But as Carter, now 49, told the AJC Politically Georgia podcast in December, the ex-president’s advancing age isn’t the only health challenge facing his family: “My wife has glioblastoma, which is a really aggressive brain tumor. And we are dealing with that on a daily basis,” he said. “There’s things in my life that are more important than politics.”
Another Democrat said to be working the phones is U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, the three-term metro Atlanta lawmaker who rose to prominence in the gun control movement following her teenage son’s murder at a Florida gas station more than a decade ago. McBath has frequently butted heads with Republicans back home, who have twice attempted to cut her tenure in Washington short by changing the boundaries of her district. Although the retired flight attendant has become a commodity among Democratic primary voters, giving up a cushy seat to mount an uphill statewide campaign might not be an ideal trade-off for the 64-year-old.
…Maybe?
Others are said to be weighing bids even though many insiders view them as unlikely to run. One familiar name often mentioned — and dismissed — is Stacey Abrams, the former statehouse minority leader who was twice defeated by Kemp. Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, who was one of the last Democrats to hold a statewide office, is apparently exploring his future within the party.
Some Republicans have been tapped to serve in the second Trump administration, essentially taking their names out of the mix. Former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins is on track to become the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs, while ex-U.S. Sen. (and one-time rival) Kelly Loeffler was nominated to lead the Small Business Administration.