Tag: georgia
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Georgia enacts legislation extending voting machine deadline, establishing automatic hand recounts
On June 25, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed legislation delaying the implementation of a state law banning the use of QR codes and other machine coding in ballot tabulation. In 2024, lawmakers enacted a bill prohibiting the use of QR codes, bar codes, or other machine coding in ballot tabulation, starting on July 1,…
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Keisha Bottoms (D) and Rick Jackson (R) compete in toss-up race to succeed term-limited Republican governor in Georgia
Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) and Rick Jackson (R) are running for Governor of Georgia in the November 3, 2026, general election. Incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is term-limited. The last Democrat elected governor was Roy Barnes in 1998. Independent election forecasters rated the general election Toss-up/Tilt Republican. Bottoms was the mayor of Atlanta from 2018…
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Georgia enacts law restricting judicial deference and requiring economic analyses for new regulations
On May 12, 2026, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) signed HB 1247 into law. The bill, which supporters call the Georgia Bureaucratic Deference Elimination Act, requires Georgia agencies to submit economic impact analyses of their rules to the legislature, and restricts the practice of judicial deference by state courts. The portion of the bill that…
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Georgia lawmakers make some county races nonpartisan, enact five other election bills in 2026
The Georgia General Assembly adjourned its 2026 regular legislative session on April 2 after sending six election-related bills to Gov. Brian Kemp (R). Kemp signed the bills on May 11 and 12. Among those bills was HB 369, which makes elections for district attorney, county commission, and some other county offices nonpartisan in Clayton, Cobb,…
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Greg Dolezal and John F. Kennedy advanced from the May 19 Republican primary for lieutenant governor of Georgia to the June 16 primary runoff
Since no candidate won 50% of the vote in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor of Georgia, the top two vote getters — Greg Dolezal (R) and John F. Kennedy (R) — advanced to the Republican primary runoff on June 16, 2026. Ahead of the Republican primary on May 19, 2026, Dolezal, Kennedy, Steve Gooch…
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Keisha Bottoms won the Democratic primary for governor in Georgia
Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) defeated six other candidates to win the Democratic Party primary for governor on May 19, 2026, receiving 58% of the vote. Lance and three other candidates — Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, and Michael Thurmond — led in polling, fundraising, and media coverage ahead of the primary. Bottoms was the Mayor of…
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Incumbents Charlie Bethel, Sarah Hawkins Warren, and Ben Land defeated challengers Miracle Ranking and Jen Jordan in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 19, 2026
Incumbents Charlie Bethel, Sarah Hawkins Warren, and Ben Land defeated challengers Miracle Rankin and Jen Jordan in the general election for Georgia Supreme Court on May 19, 2026. Bethel ran against Rankin. Warren ran against Jordan. Land was unopposed. The election was officially nonpartisan. Republican governors appointed each of the three incumbents. Both challengers ran…
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Jasmine Clark (D) defeated Everton Blair Jr. (D), Emanuel Jones (D), Heavenly Kimes (D), and two other candidates in the Democratic primary for Georgia's 13th Congressional District
Jasmine Clark (D) defeated Everton Blair Jr. (D), Emanuel Jones (D), Heavenly Kimes (D), and two other candidates in the Democratic primary for Georgia's 13th Congressional District on May 19, 2026. Clark, Blair, Jones, and Kimes led in fundraising, endorsements, and local media attention. Incumbent David Scott (D) died on April 22, 2026. Scott had…
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Houston Gaines (R) defeated Jeff Baker (R) and Ryan Millsap (R) in the Republican primary for Georgia's 10th Congressional District on May 19, 2026
Houston Gaines (R) defeated Jeff Baker (R) and Ryan Millsap (R) in the Republican primary for Georgia's 10th Congressional District on May 19, 2026. Gaines and Millsap led the candidate field in local media attention. Incumbent Mike Collins (R) ran for U.S. Senate rather than seeking re-election. As of the primary, major election forecasters rated…
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Record number of candidates running for the Georgia General Assembly in 2026
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…