LIVE: Bottoms vs Jackson | Election results for Georgia Governor 2026
ATLANTA - Voters across Georgia are watching ballot returns closely as Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson square off to lead the state. The contest will determine whether Democrats make historic gains or Republicans extend a 20-year reign in the governor's mansion.
Bottoms vs. Jackson
The Campaign:
Election officials continue tallying ballots statewide as voters await decisive returns in the high-stakes gubernatorial race. Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms faces Republican Rick Jackson in a contest that will decide the executive leadership of the state.
A victory for Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, would make her the first Black and first female governor in Georgia history. Jackson, a healthcare staffing executive running as a business-first outsider, hopes to prolong the governing coalition built under outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp.
Georgia governor debate: Bottoms, Jackson clash over health care, data centers
The final outcome will shape Georgia's economic and public health policies for the next four years. Bottoms has centered her platform on raising the minimum wage, approving state-level voting rights legislation, and passing an immediate Medicaid expansion for roughly 300,000 uninsured residents.
Jackson is prioritizing workforce development, regulatory reform, and tax relief to maintain business growth. The two candidates have also clashed over data center regulations, with Bottoms pushing strict moratoriums to safeguard power grids while Jackson advocates for environmental oversight without blanket bans.
Election results: Georgia Governor
Election Results:
Election results will be updated here all night. Please refresh your screen for the latest:
Keep refreshing this page to see the latest returns as polls close at 7 p.m.
2026 Georgia Midterm Election results
What you can do:
For full election results from the 2026 Midterm Election in Georgia, click here.
More races:
Federal races: U.S. Senate | U.S. House
Georgia races: Governor | Lt. Governor | Secretary of State | Attorney General | Agriculture Secretary | Insurance Secretary | School Superintendent | Commissioner of Labor
Georgia Public Service Commission: District 3 seat | District 5 seat
Georgia legislature: Georgia Senate | Georgia House
Georgia ballot amendments: Amendment 1 | Amendment 2 | Amendment 3
Counties: Cobb | Fulton | DeKalb | Gwinnett | Counties A-D | Counties F-H | Counties J-W
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Georgia election officials, who provided live ballot counting updates and voting totals, as well as official campaign policy platforms released by Keisha Lance Bottoms and Rick Jackson. Race results are being provided by the Associated Press and the Georgia Secretary of State's Office.