Democrats lead in Georgia’s two key midterm elections, poll shows
Fox poll: Democrats lead in Georgia — Ossoff 56-43 (Senate), House 52-47 (Government), June 27.
Georgia’s midterm elections in November could be one of the most closely watched in the United States, with two close races for the top spot in key battleground states.
On the national level, incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is hoping to keep his MAGA base at bay and defeat Trump-backed Rep. Mike Collins for six more years in Congress. While Ossoff ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, Collins ran in the first Republican primary as well as a follow-up runoff in June, ultimately defeating former college football coach Derek Dooley.
The governor’s mansion will also vacate this year as two-term Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s term is limited and a new leader will pass on the torch. Kemp announced his support for Lt. Gov. Bert Jones at the last minute days before a runoff against health care CEO Rick Jackson, which Jackson won in June and will now face former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Early voting in both races shows that the outcome could be swinging, but one race is a little more clear-cut than the other.
Two polls show Ossoff leading Collins in close Senate race
A recent poll compiled by Fox News and Wick from voters in late June shows Mr. Ossoff leading Mr. Collins by a significant margin.
According to Fox News data released July 1, Mr. Ossoff has a 13% lead. 56% compared to 43% for Mr. Collins. Even with a 3 percentage point margin of error in the poll, Ossoff still has a clear lead following the results of the Republican runoff.
The Wick poll released this week has similar results, albeit close. Mr. Ossoff leads Mr. Collins with 46.7% to 42.9%, a difference of 3.8 points, especially among only 10.4% of voters who are undecided.
Ossoff has been making many appearances on social media and television as he ramps up his campaign and dispels rumors about a 2028 presidential bid. He accused Collins of corruption and promoting the war, pointing to the fact that Collins continues to say that Trump won Georgia’s 2020 election as recently as June, despite a fruitless investigation and the revocation of a Justice Department subpoena in Fulton County.
Meanwhile, Collins has the support of Trump and has received support from other Republicans in the state. He portrays Ossoff as a radical leftist, focusing on issues such as trans athletes and immigration. But he must contend with a House ethics investigation and declining support for the Trump administration, with which he is closely aligned.
Recent polls show Bottoms and Jackson splitting the lead.
The gubernatorial election is a little more complicated.
Jackson, who only entered politics earlier this year and won the Republican nomination in his first campaign, surprised many Georgia conservatives in June. He was running against a candidate backed by Trump and Kemp, and someone with a long legislative history that could help him campaign. But his position as an outsider and businessman propelled him to the top.
He’s playing against someone who is widely known. Bottoms served as Atlanta’s mayor from 2018 to 2022, overseeing the city through major events such as Black Lives Matter protests and the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bottoms has decided to serve in the Biden administration rather than seek a second term as mayor, going against his own record.
A Fox News poll showed Mr. Bottoms had 52% support as of the end of June, with Mr. Jackson leading at 47%. With a margin of error of 3%, the actual breakdown may be even closer.
Wick data polling voters during the same period showed Mr. Jackson leading Mr. Bottoms 43.2% to 42.7%, with just over 14% of voters saying they were still undecided. This is a much closer margin than the Fox News poll or the Senate race poll.
When are the midterm elections?
Georgia’s midterm general elections will be held on November 3rd. The last day to register to vote for the general election is October 5th.
Early voting will be held across the state from October 13th to 30th. If a runoff election is required, it will be held on December 1st, with early voting taking place the week before.
Eileen Wright covers Georgia politics and elections as an Atlanta Connect reporter for USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect team. X Find her at @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
