Governor, Senate and a Possible Runoff: Georgia's Top Races, From Augusta's Side of the State
Tuesday's ballot in Richmond County is topped by an open governor's race and a U.S. Senate contest — and Georgia's 50-percent rule means Augusta voters may be asked back on Dec. 1.
Augusta voters heading to their precincts on Tuesday will find Georgia's two marquee races at the top of the ballot. The governor's office is open — Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited — and the race pits Republican Rick Jackson against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff faces Republican Rep. Mike Collins. Below those contests, Richmond County voters will also decide U.S. House and state legislature races — the seats that carry Augusta's voice in Washington and under the Gold Dome in Atlanta.
For voters in the Augusta area, the state races come with familiar local stakes: funding and policy for the medical district and Augusta University, the future of Fort Eisenhower and the cyber workforce around it, and state decisions on roads along the I-20 corridor. Governors and legislators shape all of it, which is why turnout in mid-sized Georgia metros like Augusta matters to statewide outcomes.
Georgia's majority-vote rule adds one more wrinkle. In state races where no candidate tops 50 percent, the top two finishers advance to a runoff on Dec. 1 — a Georgia tradition that has decided major offices before and could extend this election season by four weeks.
Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at assigned precincts. Augusta voters can confirm their polling place and sample ballot on the Secretary of State's My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov before heading out.
