Candidates for governor in Georgia faced off Monday in a pair of party debates as early voting kicked off in the Peach State, with primaries scheduled for May 19.
On the Republican stage at the Atlanta Press Club, billionaire Rick Jackson was put on defense as the crowded field of rivals traded jabs. In the Democrats' showdown, candidates pitched plans to tackle affordability and taxes. The race to replace term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is one of just a handful of toss-up gubernatorial contests this cycle.
What the Left Is Saying
On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms held a commanding lead in a March poll from Emerson College Polling, up more than 20 points over former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan. During the debate, Duncan faced scrutiny for campaigning less than a year after switching from the Republican Party.
"Why do you feel like you're entitled to run for governor as a Democrat?" said Georgia state Rep. Derrick Jackson (D).
Duncan responded that he was working hard on the campaign trail and acknowledged past mistakes. "My job is not just to earn somebody's vote, it's to earn their trust," he said.
Other Democratic candidates include Georgia state Sen. Jason Esteves, pastor Olu Brown, former Georgia Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond, and Amanda Duffy.
"Democrats are hoping to replicate the energy from previous close races against Kemp as they search for their standout gubernatorial contender," according to analysts tracking the race.
What the Right Is Saying
On the Republican stage, billionaire Rick Jackson entered the race in February and shook up what had seemed on track to be a three-way race among Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, and state Attorney General Chris Carr.
President Trump had already endorsed Jones, and his presence loomed over the Monday debate stage from the state he narrowly flipped in 2024.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones at one point claimed his rivals "make up lies to attack" him with, an apparent reference to a reported link between Jackson and an anti-Jones group.
"I knew that I would be getting attacked," Jackson said in rebuttal. "I just didn't know that you could actually make up information about it... But I'm not a politician. I know political attacks don't really solve the problem."
Software engineer Tom Williams pressed Jackson about reports of contributions to "candidates that were anti-Trump," asking if he was "as phony a Trump supporter as you appear to be?" Jackson acknowledged being "late to the Trump train" but emphasized his ongoing support for the president.
Georgia National Guard Sgt. Ken Yasger accused fellow candidates of "sucking up" or "tip-toeing around" the president, saying "The White House does not wake up every day... they don't ask, 'how can I make Georgians lives better?'"
What the Numbers Show
With early voting underway, Jackson holds a 6-point edge over Jones in primary polling averages compiled by Decision Desk HQ, with Raffensperger in third place. Other GOP contenders have struggled to break through in polling.
On the Democratic side, Bottoms led Duncan by more than 20 points in Emerson College Polling's March survey.
Four of Georgia's top offices are open seats this fall: governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.
Nationally, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) is the only Democratic senator running for reelection in a state Trump won in November 2024. He is considered the most vulnerable Democratic incumbent in the Senate this cycle.
The Bottom Line
Georgia's gubernatorial race represents one of the most competitive state-level contests nationally this year, with implications for party control at the state level heading into the fall elections. Both parties face contested primaries before the May 19 voting date. What happens in these races could shape the political landscape ahead of November, when control of key executive offices will be decided.