Georgia’s political calendar doesn’t slow down. On June 16, voters will decide two of the most consequential runoffs of the 2026 cycle: the Republican nominations for governor and U.S. Senate. Early voting begins June 8. And on June 17 — literally the next morning — Gov. Brian Kemp will recall the legislature for a special session to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative maps.
It’s a one-two punch that will shape Georgia politics for the next decade.
The Governor’s Race: Jones vs. Jackson
The May 19 primary produced a bruising result. Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones finished first at 38.7%, followed by billionaire businessman Rick Jackson at 33.2%. Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — both seen as Kemp-aligned candidates — were eliminated. Over $100 million in ad spending made it the third-most expensive gubernatorial primary in American history.
Jones immediately challenged Jackson to a televised debate. The dynamics favor Jones: he has Trump’s endorsement, stronger name recognition from the primary, and a MAGA base that turns out in runoffs. Jackson, a political outsider, is self-funding and arguing that Georgia needs a governor who can work across the aisle — a pitch that may land differently in a low-turnout GOP runoff than in a general election.
On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won outright with 57.5%, avoiding a runoff entirely. She’s been fundraising and building a general election operation while Republicans tear each other apart.
One overlooked detail from May 19: Democratic primary turnout exceeded Republican turnout for the first time since 2006. In a state where every statewide executive office is held by Republicans, that’s a seismic signal. Whether it holds in a low-turnout summer runoff is another question — but it suggests the energy gap that powered the GOP’s 2022 sweep has reversed.
The Senate Race: Collins vs. Dooley
Republican voters will also choose their nominee to challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Rep. Mike Collins (41.2%) faces former college football coach Derek Dooley (28.6%) after neither cleared 50% on May 19.
Trump conspicuously never endorsed in this race, and the lack of a clear MAGA lane has left the Republican field fractured. Collins and Dooley debated at the Atlanta Press Club, both scrapping for dominance in a field where everyone claims to be the most pro-Trump. Meanwhile, Ossoff has been stockpiling cash — over $25 million cash on hand at year-end — and coasting into November untouched.
Cook Political Report rates the seat Lean D. Ossoff’s campaign released a statement after the May 19 primary calling the Republican field candidates who would “limp into a month-long race to the bottom that will surely leave both broke and unelectable.”
The Day After: Redistricting Special Session
The most consequential event on Georgia’s June calendar might not be the runoff itself. On June 17, Kemp will convene a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional and legislative maps ahead of 2028.
The timing is deliberate. The Supreme Court’s April 29 ruling in Louisiana v. Callais — which severely weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act — has given Republican legislatures new latitude to redraw maps that previously would have been struck down. Kemp has said Georgia will not change maps for 2026, but will adopt new lines for 2028 and beyond.
That means voters will decide who governs Georgia on Tuesday, and lawmakers will start carving up who represents Georgia on Wednesday. The state’s five Democratic-held congressional seats could all be in play under a post-Callais map.
Key dates: Early voting begins June 8. Runoff Election Day is June 16. Redistricting special session convenes June 17. Louisiana Senate runoff (Letlow vs. Fleming) is June 27.
What to Watch
The runoff will test whether Trump’s endorsement still has the pull it did in the primary. Jones won the MAGA lane, but Jackson is outspending him on TV with a message aimed at suburban Republicans who have drifted from the party. If Jackson closes the gap, it suggests the Trump brand is weakening even within the GOP base.
On the Senate side, the Collins-Dooley matchup is less about ideology and more about electability. Neither candidate has broken through with a compelling general election message, which is exactly Ossoff’s dream scenario: a Republican nominee who spent months and millions fighting their own party instead of building a case against the incumbent.
Georgia in 2026 is where the midterm story converges: record Democratic energy, a fractured Republican field, a crumbling national environment for the president’s party, and a redistricting fight that will reshape the state’s politics for a generation. June 16 is just the beginning.