Republican Rick Jackson holds a narrow lead over Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia’s governor race, with a new poll suggesting the contest remains effectively level as record numbers of voters cast ballots early.
The InsiderAdvantage survey of 800 likely voters puts Mr Jackson on 49 per cent and Ms Bottoms on 47 per cent, with 4 per cent undecided. The poll has a margin of error of 3.46 percentage points, placing the Republican’s advantage within the margin of error.
Georgia governor race remains too close to call
Political analysts have described the race as unusually static, with Mr Jackson’s small lead showing little movement over an extended period.
“What’s unusual here is how stuck in molasses this race has been,” Bryan Robinson said on the political programme Red Clay Rundown. “We have seen Rick Jackson with his two three-point lead for a long period of time, and it’s just not moving at all.”
Mr Robinson said the outcome could ultimately depend on turnout, rather than a late shift in voter preference.
Analyst Melita Easters also said the contest was too close to call, pointing to the significance of the election cycle as Georgia becomes a majority-minority state.
Survey analyst Matt Towery said a nationwide movement among older voters towards Republicans could benefit Mr Jackson. But strong turnout among Black voters on the opening day of early voting has highlighted the potential strength of Ms Bottoms’s support.
Early voting reaches record levels
More than 188,000 Georgians voted in person on the first day of early voting, around 53,000 more than voted on the equivalent day four years ago. The total number of ballots cast across the first two days exceeded 309,000 statewide.
Georgia’s early voting period began on October 13 and runs until October 30, ahead of the general election on November 3, according to the state’s official election calendar.
With the candidates separated by only two percentage points and turnout patterns still developing, analysts say the governor’s race is likely to remain unsettled until voters have finished casting their ballots.
