Multiple polls show Ossoff leading in GA. Governor’s race is closer
The midterm elections in Georgia may be one of the most closely watched elections in the United States in November, with two close races at the top of the chart in the key battleground.
Nationally, incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff hopes to keep his MAGA base at bay and defeat Trump-backed Rep. Mike Collins for another six years in Congress. While Ossoff ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, Collins had to compete not only in the first Republican primary but also in an additional runoff in June, ultimately coming out on top against former college football coach Derek Dooley.
The governor’s mansion is also being vacated this year as two-term Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited and passes the torch to a new leader. Kemp gave a last-minute endorsement to Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the days before his runoff race against health care CEO Rick Jackson, but Jackson emerged victorious in June and will face former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Early polls for both races suggest the results could be finalized, but one race is a little clearer than the other.
Two polls show Ossoff leading Collins in tight Senate race
Ossoff leads Collins by a noticeable margin in the latest poll of voters collected by Fox News and Wick in late June.
According to Fox News data released July 1, Ossoff is ahead with 13%; 56% to Collins’ 43%. Despite the poll’s 3% margin of error, Ossoff still has a clear lead after the Republican runoff results.
In the Wick survey published this week, the results are similar, although close to each other. Ossoff leads 46.7% to Collins’ 42.9%; with only 10.4% of voters still undecided, a 3.8-point lead.
Ossoff has received plenty of face time on social media and television as he ramps up his campaign and debunks rumors of a 2028 presidential bid. He accuses Collins of being corrupt, pro-war, and points out that even though investigations were inconclusive and Justice Department subpoenas were quashed in Fulton County, Collins continued to say Trump won the 2020 election in Georgia as recently as June.
Collins, on the other hand, has Trump’s support and support from other Republicans in the state. It paints Ossoff as a radical Leftist and focuses on issues like transgender athletes and immigration. But Parliament has to deal with an ethics investigation and Support for the Trump administration is decreasingis closely linked to it.
Bottoms and Jackson share lead in latest polls
The governor’s race is a little more complicated.
Jackson, who only entered the political arena at the beginning of this year and won the Republican nomination in his first campaign, surprised many conservatives in Georgia in June. He was going up against the candidate Trump and Kemp supported, and someone with a long legislative history who needed attention during the campaign. But his status as an outsider businessman pushed him to the top of the list.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson speaks at his election night watch party on May 19, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia.
He’s going up against someone with widespread name recognition. Bottoms served as mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022, seeing the city through major events like the Black Lives Matter protests and the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bottoms is running against her own record after not seeking a second term as mayor and instead deciding to serve in the Biden Administration.
In a Fox News poll at the end of June, Bottoms was leading with 52% support to Jackson’s 47%. With a margin of error of 3%, the actual failure may be even closer.
In Wick data, which surveyed voters during the same period, Jackson trailed Bottoms by 43.2% to 42.7%, while just over 14% of voters said they were still undecided. That’s a much closer margin than the Fox News poll and also the Senate race polls.
When is the byelection?
Georgia by-elections will be held on November 3. The deadline to register to vote in the general elections is October 5.
Early voting will be held statewide October 13-30. If a runoff election is necessary, it will be held on December 1 and early voting will be held the week before.
Irene Wright covers Georgia politics and elections as an Atlanta Connect reporter on USA TODAY’s Deep South Connect team. Find her at X @IreneEWright or email adith@usatodayco.com.
This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Many polls show Ossoff ahead in GA. Governorship race draws near
