ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Monday is the last day to register to vote in Georgia’s nationally watched 2026 midterm primaries, contests that will, in some cases, at least narrow the field ahead of this fall’s elections.

Monday also marks the first day that absentee ballots will be mailed for the May 19, 2026, primary.

CLICK HERE: A full list of candidates who have qualified in Georgia’s May primary

Four of Georgia’s top constitutional offices are wide open and being heavily contested by Republicans and Democrats in their respective primaries.

A June 16, 2026, runoff is virtually assured in the Democratic governor’s primary, but all bets are off in the GOP race, where billionaire Rick Jackson has shaken the state’s political universe in his challenge to Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ once-presumptive gubernatorial nomination.

Also seeking the GOP governor’s nomination are Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr. Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited, and along with Jones’ governor’s campaign, that means all four of those seats will elect new incumbents in November.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, Jason Esteves, Michael Thurmond and Geoff Duncan - along with several others - are all seeking to become Georgia’s first Democrat to be elected governor this century.

Governor (open; incumbent Gov. Brian Kemp is term limited)

• Attorney General Chris Carr (R)
• Clark Headrick Dean (R)
• Rick Jackson (R)
• Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R)
• Gregg Kirkpatrick (R)
• Brad Raffensperger (R)
• Thomas Williams (R)
• Ken Yasger (R)
• Keisha Lance Bottoms (D)
• Olu Brown (D)
• Amanda Duffy (D)
• Geoff Duncan (D)
• Jason Esteves (D)
• State Rep. Derrick Jackson (D)
• Michael Thurmond (D)

Lieutenant Governor (open; incumbent Burt Jones is running for governor)

• Josh McLaurin (D)
• State Sen. Nabilah Parkes
• Richard Wright (D)
• David Clark (R)
• State Sen. Greg Dolezal (R)
• Steve Gooch (R)
• John Flanders Kennedy (R)
• Brenda Lynn Nelson-Porter (R)
• Takosha Misheal Swan (R)
• Michael Blake Tillery (R)

Secretary of State (open; incumbent Brad Raffensperger is running for governor)

• Cam Thi Ashling (D)
• Adrian Consonery Jr. (D)
• Penny Brown Reynolds (D)
• Timothy Kyle Fleming (R)
• Vernon Jones (R)
• Kevin King (R)
• Edward Tecumseh Metz (R)
• Robert Gabriel Sterling (R)

Attorney General (open; incumbent Chris Carr is running for governor)

• William Stone Cowsert (R)
• Robert Brian Strickland (R)
• Herbert Adams (D)
• Tanya Miller (D)
• Bob Trammell (D)

Republicans will also nominate a candidate to challenge Democratic U.S. Senate incumbent Jon Ossoff in November.

U.S. Senate

• U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D) - incumbent
• U.S. Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (R)
• U.S. Rep. Mike Collins (R)
• John Francis Coyne III (R)
• Derek Dooley (R)
• Jonathan McColumn (R)

All of Georgia’s 14 congressional seats are on the November ballot, but in the May primaries, only incumbent U.S. Reps. Brian Jack, R-3; Lucy McBath, D-6; and Rich McCormick, R-7, are running unopposed in their party primaries.

U.S. Reps. David Scott, D-13, and newly elected Clay Fuller, R-14, are facing numerous opponents in their respective Democratic and Republican primaries.

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