New 2026 Georgia Poll: Ossoff leads Senate race; Governor race in dead heat
ATLANTA - New polling data shows Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff holding a 10-point lead in his reelection bid, while the race for Georgia governor remains a near-dead heat as candidate debate disagreements escalate.
What we know:
According to a new YouGov poll conducted Sept. 15–18 among 3,447 registered Georgia voters, Ossoff leads Republican Rep. Mike Collins 51% to 41% in the 2026 Senate race, with 6% undecided. Voters in both camps show high certainty, with 94% of Ossoff supporters and 96% of Collins supporters stating their minds are made up.
The same poll shows a razor-thin contest in the race for governor, where Republican Rick Jackson holds a 45% to 44% edge over Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, well within the survey's plus or minus 2.7 percentage points margin of error. 9% of voters remain undecided in the gubernatorial race.
Demographic breakdowns highlight stark political divides across the state. Bottoms leads among Black voters 76% to 11%, while Jackson leads among white voters 62% to 27%. Pollsters surveyed a sample comprised primarily of older voters, with those aged 45 to 64 making up the largest age group at 35%, followed by voters 65 and older at 25%. Women accounted for 54% of respondents, while men made up 45%.
The poll comes as debates become a central point of friction in the governor's race. Bottoms challenged Jackson to six statewide debates, but Jackson declined five of the proposed matchups, agreeing to participate in only one October broadcast.
Outside 11Alive’s Atlanta studios on Tuesday, Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey hosted a news conference calling out Jackson for declining the station’s proposed debate. Jackson defended his decision during recent campaign stops, stating that his focus is on grassroots outreach and meeting voters directly across Georgia rather than participating in multiple broadcast forums.
Meanwhile, the polling release coincides with Ossoff calling on Collins to release internal communications following reports involving former Collins staffer Kip Talley and known white nationalists. Collins' campaign noted Talley is no longer affiliated with the office and stated Collins opposes antisemitism and hate, while Jackson declined Ossoff's call to weigh in on the Senate race dispute.
What we don't know:
Pollsters have not indicated how upcoming campaign events or potential shifts among undecided voters could impact these standings as the race enters its final stretch.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from survey data published by YouGov and previous FOX 5 reports.