New Georgia poll finds Senate lead, governor’s race tied
Insider Advantage poll, Paramount pitch & MARTA bus cameras
A new Insider Advantage poll shows John Ossoff leading Mike Collins, while the governor's race remains tied. The panel debates the Jan. 6 compensation fund controversy and MARTA's plan for bus lane cameras.
ATLANTA - A new poll of likely Georgia voters shows a sharply different picture in the state's two biggest races heading into the final months of the 2026 midterm campaign.
What we know:
Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff holds a seven-point advantage over Republican challenger Mike Collins in the Senate race, while the contest for governor is tied, according to an InsiderAdvantage poll released Tuesday.
The poll was conducted Aug. 16-17 among 800 likely voters using text messaging and an online panel. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.46 percentage points and was weighted for age, race, gender and political affiliation.
The survey was sponsored by James Magazine Online, a conservative-leaning Georgia political publication.
Ossoff leads Collins in Senate race
What they're saying:
The poll found 50% of likely voters supporting Ossoff, compared with 43% for Collins. Another 7% said they were undecided.
Ossoff is seeking his first reelection since winning the seat in 2021. The Georgia contest is expected to play a significant role in the national battle for control of the U.S. Senate.
InsiderAdvantage Chairman Matt Towery said the poll showed Collins struggling with younger and female voters. He also said Ossoff's advantage was smaller than the double-digit margins found in some other recent surveys.
"Georgia simply is not a double-digit type of state for either party these days," Towery said.
Governor's race deadlocked
The same poll found no clear leader in the race to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee, and Republican nominee Rick Jackson each received 46% support. Eight percent of likely voters were undecided.
Rick Jackson and Keisha Lance Bottoms
Towery said the governor's race appears considerably more competitive than the Senate contest, with Jackson and Bottoms essentially tied among independent voters.
He also pointed to the potential importance of voters' choices across the two statewide races, noting that Georgia historically has not seen large numbers of voters splitting their tickets between parties.
What the poll means
Local perspective:
The results provide a snapshot of the electorate with several months of campaigning still ahead and should not be viewed as a prediction of the November results.
With 7% of voters undecided in the Senate race and 8% undecided in the governor's contest, both campaigns still have an opportunity to gain support before Election Day.
The survey also illustrates the possibility that the same Georgia electorate could produce significantly different margins in two major statewide races: a measurable Democratic advantage in the Senate contest while the race for governor remains effectively even.