Georgia State Senate

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.

Republican Greg Dolezal and Democrat Josh McLaurin, both Georgia state senators, met in an Atlanta televised debate ahead of the lieutenant governor race. Dolezal called property taxes an unfair burden and criticized state subsidies for data centers, while touting the Georgia Promise Scholarship Program's reach among lower-income and Black families. McLaurin defended his bipartisan record, warned that eliminating property taxes would gut local services, and said communities need more control over data center growth given its strain on power and water. The two also traded accusations over public safety votes, with McLaurin framing his positions as constitutional pushback. Early voting runs through Oct. 30, with Election Day set for Nov. 3.

Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) used an appearance on Breitbart News Saturday to escalate attacks on Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), calling him a "power hungry" elitist who is "using Georgia as a platform" for a potential 2028 presidential bid. Collins argued Ossoff votes with Sen. Bernie Sanders roughly 90 percent of the time, draws most of his campaign funding from outside Georgia, and is positioning himself as a future standard-bearer for the Democratic Socialists of America. He also criticized Ossoff's support for international AI governance, framing it as part of a broader globalist agenda on energy and transportation.

Collins, a businessman and second-term congressman representing Georgia's 10th district, is positioning himself as Ossoff's leading Republican challenger ahead of the 2026 midterms. The race is viewed as pivotal to Senate control during the second half of President Trump's term, with Ossoff previously labeled the chamber's most vulnerable Democratic incumbent.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has endorsed Rep. Mike Collins in the race to unseat Sen. Jon Ossoff, backing the Republican congressman he had opposed during the primary. Kemp praised Collins as a "commonsense leader" who has "delivered results as a businessman," while criticizing Ossoff's record as out of step with Georgia values. Collins, who owns a trucking company and represents Georgia's 10th congressional district, is also backed by President Trump and thanked Kemp for joining the effort to "take back Georgia's Senate seat."

Kemp had initially supported Derek Dooley, a first-time candidate, in the GOP primary, which Collins won decisively. The Ossoff campaign dismissed the endorsement's significance, pointing to Kemp's earlier opposition to Collins and leveling sharp criticism at the congressman.

The contest is considered one of the most competitive Senate races of the cycle and could help determine which party controls the chamber for the remainder of Trump's term. Polling currently shows Ossoff with a lead, though the race is widely rated a toss-up.