Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson are running nearly even in the tight Georgia governor's race, with several late-September polls showing margins of less than one percentage point. Bottoms' historic candidacy could make her the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history, and turnout among Black voters and undecided voters may prove decisive. With Election Day on Nov. 3, both campaigns are making a final push in a contest that remains unsettled.
Keisha Lance Bottoms Could Make History As Georgia Governor Race Tightens To A Near Tie
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MAY 19: Gubernatorial candidate, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms attends a primary night watch party at the Hyatt Regency on May 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
With Election Day approaching, the race for Georgia governor has tightened into a virtual dead heat, and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms could make history if she wins. Recent public polls show Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson separated by less than a percentage point, leaving undecided voters — and turnout among Black voters — potentially decisive in the final weeks of the campaign.
Polling Snapshot
Late-September surveys underscore how close the contest is:
- Big Data Poll (Sept. 21–23): Jackson and Bottoms tied at 50% each after leaners were included.
- InsiderAdvantage (Sept. 22–23): Jackson 48%, Bottoms 46%.
- RealClearPolitics Average: Jackson 47.2% vs. Bottoms 46.5% — a margin under one percentage point.
Previous polls have swung between narrow Bottoms leads, ties and small Jackson advantages, highlighting an unsettled electorate and the outsized importance of late-deciding voters.
What’s At Stake
If Bottoms wins, she would become Georgia’s first Black governor and the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history. A victory would also mark the first time a Democrat has held Georgia’s governor’s office since 1998.
Campaign Focus
On the campaign trail, Bottoms has focused on pocketbook issues — including affordability, health care and education — as she seeks to broaden her appeal across the state. Jackson, a health care executive who secured the GOP nomination earlier this year, is campaigning to keep the governor’s office in Republican hands.
Bottom line: With Election Day set for Nov. 3, small shifts among undecided voters and turnout patterns, especially among Black voters, could determine the outcome of a race that remains razor-close.
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