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U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff from Georgia is currently the frontrunner in the state’s 2026 Senate race, according to a recent survey conducted by Emerson College Polling.
The poll, which surveyed 1,000 likely voters in Georgia, indicates Ossoff holds a lead over the top three Republican contenders in hypothetical matchups for the November general election, each by a margin of at least three percentage points.
Specifically, Ossoff is ahead of Representative Buddy Carter with 47% to Carter’s 44%, while 9% of respondents remain undecided. Against Representative Mike Collins, Ossoff leads 48% to 43%, with another 9% undecided. In a potential race against Derek Dooley, Ossoff garners 49% compared to Dooley’s 41%, with 10% undecided.
“Senator Jon Ossoff enters the 2026 election cycle with just under 50% support, largely due to strong backing from independent voters,” remarked Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College Polling. “He leads potential Republican opponents by an average of 16 points among independents, 12 points among voters under 50, and 8 points among women.”
In the Republican primary race, Mike Collins is currently in the lead with 30% support. He is followed by Buddy Carter with 16% and Derek Dooley with 10%. However, a significant 40% of voters have yet to decide, and 4% express support for another candidate.
“Collins has a plurality of support among voters over 50, at 33%, while 15% support Carter, and
7% Dooley. Voters under 50 are more split: 24% support Collins, 18% support Carter, and 15%
Dooley,” Kimball noted.
In the Georgia Republican primary for governor, the race is much closer, with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones leading with 21%, followed by Rick Jackson at 20%, former Secretary of State Brad Raffenspger at 11%, and Chris Carr with 6%.
Thirty-eight percent of voters are undecided in the gubernatorial primary race, and 4% support another candidate.
“Businessman Rick Jackson’s entry into the race appears to have reshaped the race, drawing
support from voters over 60 (35%) and independent affiliated primary voters (25%), while Burt
Jones’ support is highest among men (27%), Republican affiliated primary voters (22%) and has
consistent support among age groups,” Kimball said.
Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has a double-digit lead in the Democratic primary for governor with 35% support, followed by Geoff Duncan at 13%, Michael Thurmond at 7%, Jason Esteves at 4%, Derrick Jackson at 3%, and 39% of voters undecided.
“48% of Black voters support Keisha Lance Bottoms, while white primary voters are split across
Democrats — 19% support Bottoms, 14% Duncan, 7% Esteves, and 7% Thurmond,” said Kimball.
President Donald Trump holds a 42% job approval rating among Georgia likely voters, while 51%
disapprove of the job he is doing. Gov. Brian Kemp holds a 46% job approval rating, and
25% disapproval. Thirty percent are neutral.
The top issue for Georgia voters is the economy at 36%, followed by housing affordability and healthcare at 14%, threats to democracy at 11%, and immigration at 7%.