Democratic
Keisha Lance Bottoms
Major-party general-election nominee.
← all governor races
Georgia governor election, 2026
Keisha Lance Bottoms vs. Rick Jackson. Term-limited.
VotePredictor forecast
Rick Jackson favored
Lean R · predicted margin R+2.9
73%
chance to win
Poll-driven model · 7 matched polls. Full forecast history and methodology →
Republican
Rick Jackson
Major-party general-election nominee.
Polls
| Pollster | Date | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| Wedgewood Polls | 2026-10-03 | R+2.0 |
| Big Data Poll | 2026-09-23 | R+1.0 |
| InsiderAdvantage | 2026-09-23 | R+2.0 |
| FiftyPlusOne | 2026-09-23 | D+2.5 |
| YouGov | 2026-09-18 | R+2.0 |
| Rasmussen Reports | 2026-09-14 | R+3.0 |
| InsiderAdvantage | 2026-08-17 | R+0.1 |
Other forecasts
Cook
Tossup
as of Oct. 13, 2026
DDHQ
Tossup
as of Oct. 14, 2026
Fox
Tossup
as of Oct. 6, 2026
IE
Tossup
as of Oct. 1, 2026
RCP
Tossup
as of Oct. 12, 2026
Sabato
Tossup
as of Oct. 6, 2026
Silver
Lean D (flip)
as of Oct. 13, 2026
Published ratings are categorical, not probabilities, and remain independent of VotePredictor. Sources and update dates ↗
Past results
Every Georgia election for governor we hold a result for.
YearWinnerMargin
Candidate news
Could this be the year Democrats close the 'governor gap' with Republicans?
When people talk about this year's midterms, they tend to focus on whether Democrats will end unified Republican control of Congress by winning the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives (or both). And that makes sense: Congress has the power to check Presid…
Yahoo Entertainment · Yesterday
Transcript: The Blue Wave Is Coming to the States As Well
This is a lightly edited transcript of the October 14 edition of Right Now With Perry Bacon. You can watch the video here or by following this show on YouTube or Substack. Perry Bacon: Hi, I’m Perry Bacon. I’m joined by Chaz Nuttycombe. He’s the executive dir…
The New Republic · Yesterday
GOP governor candidate skips debate against former Biden advisor, replaced by empty podium
Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson did not attend a debate, leaving Democratic rival Keisha Lance Bottoms next to an empty podium at the event.
Fox News · October 13, 2026
Democrat ‘Debates’ Empty Podium After Republican Is No-Show for Georgia Gov Debate
Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta and the Democratic nominee for Georgia governor, debated an empty podium Monday evening after her GOP opponent, healthcare CEO Rick Jackson, failed to show up. The post Democrat ‘Debates’ Empty Podium After R…
Mediaite · October 13, 2026
Keisha Lance Bottoms Debates Alone in Unusual Georgia Governor Showdown
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms took the debate stage Monday without her Republican opponent, standing beside an empty podium as she answered questions on the eve of early voting in the Peach State. “Rick Jackson is the first gub…
Biztoc.com · October 13, 2026
Rick Jackson Didn’t Show Up for Gubernatorial Debate
“Standing beside an empty lectern, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms opened Monday’s debate by accusing Republican Rick Jackson of ducking scrutiny by skipping the showdown,” the Atlanta Journal-Consitution reports. Said Bottoms: “He’d rather hide behind his bill…
Politicalwire.com · October 13, 2026