There are 538 candidates running for the Georgia General Assembly this year. This is the most candidates running since 2010. An average of 429 candidates ran each year between 2010 and 2024.

According to WABE’s Mark Niesse, “With legislators running for higher office, longtime lawmakers retiring, and many challenges to incumbents, the Georgia General Assembly is set for high turnover after this year’s elections. Control of the state House and Senate is at stake as Republicans are defending the majorities they’ve held in both chambers for over 20 years.“

Georgia has a Republican trifecta. As of May 15, Republicans have a 33-21 majority in the Georgia Senate with two vacancies and a 99-80 majority with one vacancy in the Georgia House. Georgia is also holding a gubernatorial election this year. Seven candidates are running in the Democratic primary, and eight candidates are running in the Republican primary. Governor Brian Kemp (R) is term-limited. 

Looking against just the state legislature, all 180 seats in the Georgia House and all 56 in the Georgia Senate are up for election this year.

In total, there are 101 contested state legislative elections, the second most since 2010. There are 68 contested Democratic primaries and 33 contested Republican primaries. This is the most contested Democratic primaries since 2010. An average of 41 Republican primaries were contested between 2010 and 2024.

Forty-nine incumbents are contested this year, representing 23.8 of the 206 incumbents running for re-election this year.  An average of about 48 incumbents were contested in even years between 2010 and 2024.

There are 30 open seats this year. In election cycles between 2010 and 2024, there were an average of 27.3 open seats each year.

Click here to read more about the 2026 Georgia House of Representatives elections and here to learn more about the 2026 Georgia state Senate elections.