New poll shows Jackson holds slight lead over Bottoms in governor's race

ATLANTA - A new poll shows Republican Rick Jackson holding a narrow lead over former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the race to become Georgia's next governor.

Rick Jackson, Keisha Lance Bottoms poll results

What we know:

A telephone and online survey of 1,019 likely Georgia voters conducted by Rasmussen Reports found that 48% favor Jackson, while 45% back Bottoms. 7% of voters reported being undecided. The survey, conducted on Monday, carries a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Jackson, who secured the Republican nomination after a runoff against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, holds 89% support among registered Republicans. Bottoms captures 88% support among registered Democrats. Among unaffiliated voters, Jackson holds 43% to Bottoms' 41%, with 16% undecided.

Public debate appearances

Dig deeper:

The tight polling comes as the two campaigns spar over public debate appearances. The Bottoms campaign is pressing for six statewide debates, with Senior Advisor Beth Cope emphasizing that voters deserve a side-by-side look at where the candidates stand on the issues.

So far, Jackson has agreed to one town-hall-style debate. He defended his decision to pass on a candidate forum in Macon during a campaign stop in Marietta, stating his focus is on traveling the state and speaking directly to voters. Republican strategists also defended the strategy, arguing that demands for additional debates typically come from campaigns trailing in the polls.

Demographic breakdowns 

By the numbers:

The survey revealed significant demographic divides across the state:

• Men favor Jackson 53% to 38%, while women favor Bottoms 51% to 44%.
• Jackson holds a major lead among voters 65 and older (63% to 34%), while Bottoms leads among voters under 30 (58% to 34%).
• White voters support Jackson over Bottoms 66% to 27%. Bottoms leads among Black voters (77% to 18%), Hispanic voters (52% to 38%), and other minority groups (49% to 39%).