Eight candidates are running in the Republican primary for Georgia governor on May 19, 2026.
Four candidates have led in media attention:
- Chris Carr (R) is the incumbent attorney general and is campaigning on affordability and public safety.
- Rick Jackson (R) is a healthcare executive and is campaigning on his business experience and on passing an income tax cut.
- Burt Jones (R) is the incumbent lieutenant governor and is campaigning on reducing taxes and improving education.
- Brad Raffensperger (R) is the incumbent secretary of state and is campaigning on jobs and lower taxes.
For more information about each candidate's policies, click here.
Cook Political Report with Amy Walter's Matthew Klein wrote, "Ever the swing state, Georgia is gearing up for yet another competitive and expensive gubernatorial contest. And this time, both parties have packed primaries that guarantee plenty of chaos before the general election kicks off in earnest."
The Georgia Political Insight Substack wrote after Jackson's entry that the race "is now one of the most expensive and unpredictable statewide contests in the country." According to official campaign finance reports from the Georgia Ethics Commission, Carr raised $4.9 million, Jones $3.9 million, and Raffensperger $864.2k. Fundraising info for Jackson was not available. Observers have noted that Jackson, Jones, and Raffensperger can self-finance their campaigns, and Jackson and Jones have done so. Satellite spending has also been a factor in the race as a group called Georgians for Integrity has spent $14 million in ads opposing Jones' campaign.
The Washington Post's Patrick Svitek wrote that Donald Trump's legal challenges to the outcome of the 2020 presidential election had become "a stark dividing line in the Georgia governor’s race, where Republicans [who took differing sides]... are now facing off in a major midterm contest." In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential elections, the candidates who held office at the time took differing stances on Trump's lawsuits. Jones, a state Senator at the time, supported the lawsuits and was an alternate elector for Trump, while Carr and Raffensperger did not support the president's lawsuits.
Trump endorsed Jones on August 11, 2025, saying in a Truth Social post, "Burt has proven he has the Courage and Wisdom to deliver strong results for the incredible people of his wonderful State and Nation". The four candidates have spoken about Trump and the 2020 election in different ways. Carr has praised Trump's policies but did not back his lawsuits in 2020, and says his campaign and style were more aligned with Gov. Brian Kemp (R) and former Sen. Johnny Isakson (R). Jackson says Trump was his inspiration to run for office, and he has aired ads criticizing Raffensperger over his actions following the 2020 presidential election. Jones says he supports Trump's agenda and also previously supported his lawsuits in 2020. Raffensperger, who did not support the president's lawsuits in 2020, has defended his actions and says his record has been conservative and would align with Trump's objectives.
If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, the top two leading candidates will advance to a runoff on June 16, 2026.
Clark Dean (R), Gregg Kirkpatrick (R), Leland Olinger II (R), and Kenneth Yasger (R) are also running.
This page focuses on Georgia's Republican Party gubernatorial primary. For more in-depth information on Georgia's Democratic gubernatorial primary and the general election, see the following pages: