The candidates running for Georgia governor in the 2026 election include: Democratic candidates:

• Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Atlanta Mayor and former White House Office of Public Engagement director, officially declared her candidacy recently

• Jason Esteves, Georgia State Senator, also declared his run for governor

• Olujimi Brown, church founder, has declared as well

• Potential candidates expressing interest include Stacey Abrams, former Minority Leader of the Georgia House and two-time gubernatorial nominee, Derrick Jackson, Lucy McBath, and Mike Thurmond

Republican candidates:

• Chris Carr, Georgia Attorney General, is the first Republican to officially declare his candidacy

• Burt Jones, Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, has publicly expressed interest but has not yet officially declared

• Kelly Loeffler, former U.S. Senator and current SBA Administrator, is a potential candidate

• Other potential Republican candidates include Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State, and Marjorie Taylor Greene, U.S. Representative

Incumbent Republican Governor Brian Kemp is term-limited and cannot run for re-election in 2026

. In summary, the main declared candidates so far are Keisha Lance Bottoms, Jason Esteves, and Olujimi Brown on the Democratic side, and Chris Carr on the Republican side, with several others expressing interest or considered potential candidates