Who will be Georgia’s next governor? Candidates kick off election season at panel

The race to be the next governor of Georgia is already heating up, and all eight candidates made their pitches to voters at a Wednesday evening event in Warner Robins.

The race is still more than a year out — with the general election set to take place in November 2026 following the primaries in May 2026 — but it is already promising to be one that is closely watched.

Gov. Brian Kemp, the current Republican governor of Georgia who has been in office since 2019, has reached his term limit. Democrats hope to make inroads in the increasingly competitive landscape in Georgia, while Republicans want to hold on to the executive office.

Candidates used Wednesday’s “Meet & Greet Your Next Governor of Georgia” panel as an early opportunity to present their platforms to Georgians, giving a glimpse into the issues and topics that stand to shape the race.

Inflation, the cost of living and Trump are in the spotlight

The panel talked about many of the same issues that are being discussed nationally.

Inflation and the cost of living were big talking points, particularly among Democratic candidates who say President Donald Trump’s policy of increased tariffs on a range of trade partners have driven up costs for Americans.

They also pointed to Trump’s spending and tax bill, dubbed by him as the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” as harming Americans by cutting funding to Medicaid and nutrition programs.

Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms, who is the former mayor of Atlanta and worked in the White House under former President Joe Biden, lambasted Trump’s policies and positioned herself as a candidate who can take Trump on and improve conditions at the state level.

“We’ve all seen the chaos coming from the federal government in Washington D.C.,” Bottoms, who did not attend in-person, said in a video message. “Trump’s election in November was a wake-up call for me and I’m sure for many others.”

The Big, Beautiful Bill, which was signed into law in July, placed more stringent work requirements on Medicaid recipients and cut Medicaid spending by about 15%, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation and media reports.

A January report by the Georgia Health Initiative said nearly 19% of Georgians are covered by Medicaid.

Education and voucher programs

Education was also a major issue for both Republicans and Democrats.

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, a Republican who is endorsed by President Trump, emphasized his support for voucher programs, which allow parents to receive state money to pay for private education programs.

Voucher programs have received significant attention in Georgia, with the state creating the Georgia Promise Scholarship in 2024. The scholarship allows students who attend one of the 426 approved, low-performing schools to apply for a voucher of up to $6,500 per student per year.

Critics of voucher programs say they primarily benefit wealthy families and take away money from public school systems. Jones pushed back against these criticisms, affirming his support for public education.

“You can support (school vouchers) and public schools,” Jones, who did not attend in person, said in a video message.

Other candidates emphasized increasing funding for schools and improving teacher pay and benefits. Democratic State Sen. Jason Esteves, who represents a portion of metro Atlanta and is a former educator, pushed for more equity in Georgia’s education system.

According to data from the Southern Education Foundation, Black students in Georgia are less likely to participate in college prep classes and attend schools with less funding.

Esteves also proposed increasing teacher pay to recruit and retain teachers statewide.

Other Democratic candidates emphasized similar points, with plans for ranging from improving benefits and protecting pension funds to eliminating the state income tax for teachers.

Why does the Georgia governor race matter so much?

Despite being so far out, eyes are already on Georgia’s governor race.

Georgia has become a toss-up state in elections, with the state voting for Biden in the 2020 presidential race and electing two Democratic senators, then voting for Trump in the most recent presidential election.

The 2026 gubernatorial race is no exception, with both Democrats and Republicans prepared for a long and intense battle.

The last gubernatorial race in 2022 — which saw Gov. Kemp face off against Democratic organizer Stacey Abrams — broke fundraising records with the candidates raising around $170 million total. The number broke records set during the 2018 gubernatorial election, which was also between Abrams and Gov. Kemp.