Likely Opponents To Face Off In GA's Gubernatorial, U.S. Senate Races

While the official choice for governor will not be selected until later in the year, Georgia voters have decided who will make it to November.

The costly showdown between Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and businessman Rick Jackson will continue in a GOP runoff on June 16. Meanwhile, Democratic voters have chosen former White House aide and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to represent their party in the race for governor, according to projections.

Fresh faces entered the race due to current Republican Gov. Brian Kemp's ineligibility to run for a third term.

Candidates must have cleared the required 50 percent plus one vote threshold to avoid a runoff in the primary. The general election will be held on Nov. 3.

Bottoms received 56.22 percent (606,983) of the votes to defeat six other contenders, according to unofficial results from the SOS office.

The GOP's Jackson secured 32.52 percent (303,402) of the votes in a race that included seven other opponents, the data showed. Jones acquired 38.36 percent (357,880) of the votes.

Bottoms focused on health-care cost reduction and affordable housing during her campaign run. Funding for Georgia's schools and supporting small businesses were among the issues Bottoms' plans to address if becoming governor.

Meanwhile, Jones said if he becomes governor, he intends to slash income taxes and offer assistance to rural Georgia.

Jackson aims to suspend tuition, as well as room and board, at public colleges and technical schools. He also supports the deportation of non-citizens.

Bottoms snagged a rare endorsement from former President Joe Biden after serving in his administration. She has argued to voters that she was “battle-tested,” trying to make a virtue out of a mayoral term where she had to manage crime, disorder and the COVID-19 pandemic before her surprise decision to not seek reelection.

Democrats have not won the Georgia governor’s office for 24 years. It’s the third consecutive time that Georgia Democrats have nominated a Black woman as their candidate for governor — Stacey Abrams was the nominee in the last two elections — reflecting a party that relies on support from Black women as its most loyal voters.

More than $125 million has been spent on advertising in the Republican primary for governor, with more than $66 million of that spent by Jackson’s campaign, according to the latest figures from ad-tracking firm AdImpact. By contrast, Democrats running for governor have only spent about $4 million.

Jones argues that his conservative record as a state senator and lieutenant governor, combined with Trump's support, should make him the clear choice for Republican voters. Jackson is betting that his outside pitch will win over antiestablishment conservatives.

As for the U.S. Senate, running unopposed, incumbent Jon Ossoff has received a one-way ticket to the general election. Still, he faces a challenge with the projected runoff between the GOP's U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and attorney Derek Dooley.

Collins won a spot in the runoff with 40.50 percent (369,359) of the votes, while Dooley trailed with 30.19 percent (275,312) of the votes.

Earlier polls showed Ossoff could possibly defeat Collins but only by a thin margin. The margin was even wider should a Ossoff-Dooley matchup comes to fruition, with Ossoff being the favorable candidate, according to Real Clear Polling.

Ossoff had no opposition in Tuesday's primary. This is his first reelection campaign. He has positioned himself as a critic of political corruption, targeting Trump and his sons for business dealings that have enriched the first family.

Collins faced attacks over a House ethics complaint accusing him of abusing taxpayer funds by paying the girlfriend of a top aide for work she allegedly didn't perform. The Office of Congressional Conduct, after an initial inquiry, has referred the matter to the House Ethics Committee.

Collins sponsored the Laken Riley Act, a 2025 law that requires immigrants be detained when charged with certain crimes. Republicans believe the issue damages Ossoff because he initially voted against the measure before supporting it after Trump returned to the White House.

Republicans currently control the Senate over the Democrats, 53-45. There are also two Independents seated in the Senate.

Ossoff is one of two senators representing Georgia in Congress. He ran on a platform supporting advanced health care for pregnant women and children, mental health care for veterans and funding for historically Black colleges and universities in the state.

Dooley's platform was based on affordable and reliable energy, as well as balancing Congress' budget. Collins supports the war in Iran and seeks to repeal the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.

RELATED: GOP Runoff Looms, Dems Nominate Bottoms In Race For GA Governor

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, the following is a list of results in Georgia's gubernatorial race as released by the Secretary of State's Office. All results are unofficial until certified.

RELATED: Few Ossoff Challengers Push Trump-Forward Agenda Ahead Of GA Primary

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, the following is a list of results in Georgia's U.S. Senate as released by the Secretary of State's Office. All results are unofficial until certified.

Here's gubernatorial selections made by county:

The Associated Press contributed reporting and writing.