Georgia on My Mind

Tuesday is Election Day in Georgia, with competitive runoffs on the Republican side for governor and Senate. Both races look to be extremely close.

In the gubernatorial election, healthcare executive Rick Jackson is running against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Jackson led narrowly in pre-election polls heading into the May 19 primary, but finished behind Jones by nearly 6 percentage points. On the eve of the runoff, Jackson once again leads Jones narrowly in the most recent round of polls. An Insider Advantage survey taken over the weekend and released yesterday shows Jackson at 49%, with Jones receiving 46%.

Adding to the intrigue, current Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp endorsed Jones on Sunday afternoon, saying in a written statement on X, “Burt knows how to get things done as governor because that’s what he has done as a state senator and as your Lt. Governor.” President Trump also weighed in with a last-minute endorsement of Jones.

The winner will face off in the general election against former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

Meanwhile, in the Senate race, Mike Collins, who currently represents Georgia’s 10th Congressional District, located just east of Atlanta, is in a tight contest with Derek Dooley, the former head football coach at the University of Tennessee and son of legendary University of Georgia Bulldogs head coach Vince Dooley.

Collins won the May 19 primary by 10 points over Dooley, 40.5% to 30.2%. But the most recent survey (the Insider Advantage poll) shows Collins with a slim 2-point lead, 48% to 46%.

Trump also waded into the Senate race over the weekend, endorsing Collins. Trump lauded Collins as “a true Friend, Fighter, and WARRIOR, who has been with us from the very beginning.”

The winner will face off against incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff, who is currently favored to hold the seat against either Republican challenger.