Georgia’s 11th District House Race 2026

Candidate fields are set for county commission, school board and other local races across eight North Georgia counties — Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Forsyth, Hall, Cherokee and Paulding — ahead of the 2026 midterms. The contests mix incumbents seeking reelection, open seats and several unopposed candidates. Notable races include Fulton County's commission chair contest between Mo Ivory and Eric Tatum, a crowded special election for Fulton's District 4 seat, and rematches such as Bridget Thorne versus Maggie Goldman in Fulton District 1.

These local races typically draw less prediction-market attention than statewide or federal contests, but the lineups give early visibility into competitive seats and turnout dynamics heading into next year's elections.

Early voting opened in Georgia for the 2026 midterm election, running through Oct. 30, with Oct. 23 as the deadline to request an absentee ballot. Nearly every major statewide office is open, with new officeholders guaranteed in most races. The headline contest pits Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms against Republican Rick Jackson for governor, while incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff faces Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins in a closely watched Senate race.

Down-ballot races include lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, agriculture, insurance and labor commissioner, plus two Public Service Commission seats, congressional and legislative contests. Voters will also decide three constitutional amendments covering conservation-use acreage limits, nonpartisan election of probate judges, and dedicated funding for 911 systems. Turnout data is tracked through the secretary of state's Election Data Hub. The races carry significant implications for prediction markets given Georgia's status as a key battleground state.

Candidates have filed across 13 Georgia State Senate districts, mostly in metro Atlanta, ahead of the 2026 midterms. Several incumbents, including Sheikh Rahman, Ruwa Romman, Gail Davenport, Kenya Wicks, Jaha Howard, Kim Jackson, and Tonya Anderson, face no Republican opponent listed in their districts. Other seats are contested, including District 10, where Larry Johnson and Furquan Stafford compete to succeed Sen. Emmanuel Jones, and District 14, where Kevin Abel faces Mike Dvorscak for Sen. Josh McLaurin's open seat. Additional matchups include Romman vs. Shaikh, Castro vs. Setzler, Kemp vs. Helvy, and Jackson vs. Newlin, setting up a broad set of down-ballot races within the state's legislature.

A Pitchess motion dispute in Long Beach has revealed that former officer Erik Suarez pleaded guilty to misdemeanor aggravated battery in 2022 over a 2019 Waffle House beating in Cobb County, Georgia, a conviction that was not disclosed to defendant Lonnie Jacobs, whom Suarez arrested on a drug charge. Defense attorney Scott Sanders argues the Long Beach Police Department and district attorney's office had an obligation under Brady v. Maryland to disclose the conviction and is seeking Suarez's full personnel file, alleging a pattern of concealment. Records show Suarez also received department discipline in 2023 for unnecessary force after punching a handcuffed man, an incident the DA's office declined to prosecute without knowing of the Georgia conviction.

Suarez left the LBPD in June, shortly before a subpoena attempt, and was hired by the Burbank Police Department in July. Long Beach officials have resisted broader disclosure, calling Sanders' request overly broad. A judge continued the case to Nov. 12 to consider the renewed motion.

Early voting opened in Georgia for the 2026 midterm elections, giving voters until Oct. 30 to cast ballots ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. Voting hours, locations, and weekend availability vary by county, and officials are urging voters to check local election offices or the state's My Voter Page for details.

Two statewide contests are drawing the most attention. In the governor's race, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former Atlanta mayor, faces Republican businessman Rick Jackson. In the U.S. Senate race, Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins is challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. Both races are considered competitive and could have broader implications for partisan control heading into the next election cycle, making Georgia a focal point for political forecasters and prediction markets tracking gubernatorial and Senate outcomes.

Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and Republican challenger Rep. Mike Collins met Thursday night for their first debate in Georgia's closely watched U.S. Senate race, hosted by Atlanta News First. It was the first of two scheduled face-offs, with a second debate set for Tuesday at an Atlanta Press Club event.

Ossoff, seeking a second term, has maintained a consistent lead in public polling and holds a significant fundraising advantage over Collins, a sitting U.S. House member. Collins used the debate to try to shift momentum as the campaign enters its final weeks before the November election.

Advance in-person voting begins Oct. 13, with Election Day set for Nov. 3. The contest is among the most competitive Senate races of the midterm cycle and could play a role in determining control of the chamber, drawing national attention and heavy spending from both parties.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp defeated Democrat Stacey Abrams in their 2022 rematch, preserving GOP control of Georgia's governorship and dealing a second statewide loss to the national Democratic figure. Kemp campaigned on tax cuts and cash rebates funded by state and federal surpluses, his handling of the economy, an early end to COVID-19 restrictions, and attacks on Abrams over policing, after surviving a primary challenge backed by Donald Trump following disputes over the 2020 election.

Abrams, who would have been the first Black woman elected governor in U.S. history, campaigned on expanding Medicaid, raising teacher pay, legalizing gambling to fund college aid, tightening gun laws, and restoring abortion rights after the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade. She outraised Kemp but trailed in polls throughout the race. Exit surveys showed the economy, inflation, and crime as top voter concerns, favoring Kemp, while abortion rights drove support for Abrams and Senator Raphael Warnock. Abrams vowed to continue advocating for voting rights and other priorities despite the loss.

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) said during a debate against Republican challenger Rep. Mike Collins that President Trump's conduct already meets the threshold for impeachment, should Democrats win a House majority in November. Asked at the Atlanta Press Club-hosted debate whether he would support impeachment efforts and vote to convict, Ossoff said the president's "misconduct, abuse of power, and corruption already exceed any prior standard for impeachment," adding he would consider any articles of impeachment "on the merits as a juror in the Senate" if the House sends them.

Ossoff voted for Trump's second impeachment but was not in Congress during the first. Impeachment requires a House majority and a two-thirds Senate vote, both currently controlled by Republicans. The Georgia Senate race is seen as pivotal to control of the chamber in the second half of Trump's term, with polling showing Ossoff ahead of Collins less than a month before election day.