FILE PHOTO. People wait in line to cast their ballot in Atlanta. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
ATLANTA - A new statewide poll suggests Georgia’s Republican primaries for governor and U.S. Senate could both head to runoff elections as candidates battle for support ahead of Election Day.
PREVIOUS STORY: Who is leading the GOP in Senate, governor races? New InsiderAdvantage poll
Race for governor
What we know:
The InsiderAdvantage survey of 800 likely voters found Rick Jackson leading the GOP race for governor with 31% support, followed by Burt Jones at 27%. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger received 16%, while Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr polled at 10%.
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Pollsters said the numbers indicate Jackson and Jones are likely headed to a runoff.
Race for Senate
What we know:
In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Mike Collins led the field with 32%, followed by former football coach Derek Dooley at 26% and Congressman Buddy Carter at 21%.
The poll showed Dooley moving ahead of Carter since InsiderAdvantage’s previous survey in April.
Survey details
The survey was conducted May 16-17 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.46%.
What they're saying:
InsiderAdvantage pollster Matt Towery said he believes both races remain highly competitive but warned Republicans about what he described as a lack of national support for early voting turnout efforts in Georgia.
Towery said Democrats have outpaced Republicans in early voting by more than 150,000 ballots, according to state voting data.
"Donald Trump won Georgia in 2024 because Republicans participated in early voting in record numbers," Towery said. "However, Georgia Republicans have received a paltry amount in funds from national sources to push early voting in this cycle."
Towery also argued that a lack of national Republican resources could hurt GOP candidates in statewide races later this year and in future midterm elections.
According to the poll analysis, Carr and Raffensperger appear to be splitting voters who are not aligned with former President Donald Trump, while Collins has maintained his position as the frontrunner in the Senate race throughout the polling cycle.
Pollsters noted the Senate race still has a sizable number of undecided voters, which could influence the final outcome.