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Special Edition – May 27, 2026
Whether you were glued to the results on election night or are just now coming up for air, this issue of From the Capitol Steps has you covered. Read our coverage of what happened on May 19 to what's coming up fast with the June 16 runoff right around the corner.
Last week's General Primary Election set the stage for what promises to be a fascinating road to November with some races already decided, others heading to a runoff, and a few storylines that could make Georgia the center of the political universe once again. Here's a breakdown of what happened and what it means for Cobb County and beyond.
In This Issue:
Election Results
2026 Washington, D.C. Fly-In
ELECTION RECAP
On Tuesday, May 26, the Secretary of State finalized the results of the General Primary Election held the week before on Tuesday, May 19. Roughly two million voters participated in the state's primary elections for a wide range of offices by selecting either a Democrat, Republican or Non-Partisan Ballot. Tickets included major statewide races such as U.S. Senate, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and other constitutional offices including Commissioners of Agriculture, Insurance, and Labor; State School Superintendent; and Public Service Commissioners. Voters also weighed in on all 14 U.S. House seats, Georgia General Assembly seats, judicial races including several Georgia Supreme Court seats decided in nonpartisan elections, and various local offices and ballot measures depending on their county and district.
Tabulations show Democrats slightly edged out Republicans in overall primary participation, with stronger Democratic turnout on Election Day helping close or reverse earlier Republican leads from early voting. Georgia remains a battleground state for its General Election with both national parties eyeing the U.S. Senate seat and Gubernatorial stronghold.
Democratic Ballot
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the Democratic nomination for governor outright, receiving approximately 56% of the vote and avoiding a runoff. Bottoms is now positioned to become Georgia’s first female and first Black woman governor if successful in November. She defeated six opponents including well known candidates - former State Senator Jason Estaves, former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond and Geoff Duncan, the former Republican Lt. Governor who switched parties.
Republican Ballot
The Republican gubernatorial primary did not produce a majority winner. Endorsed by President Trump, current Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones led with about 38%, while businessman Rick Jackson placed second with roughly 32%. The two will face off in a runoff on June 16. Voters who supported Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger combined for about 27% of the vote and now must make a decision who will earn their next vote.
Non-Partisan Ballot
In the nonpartisan statewide judicial elections held concurrently with the May 19 primary, incumbent Georgia Supreme Court justices fared well. Charlie Bethel narrowly defeated challenger Miracle Rankin with approximately 51.2% to 48.8%. Sarah Hawkins Warren won more decisively against former State Senator and former candidate for Attorney General Jen Jordan, taking about 59% of the vote. Incumbent Ben Land also returns to the bench after qualifying without opposition.
On the Georgia Court of Appeals, most incumbent judges including Sara Doyle, E. Trenton Brown III, Elizabeth Gobeil, and J. Wade Padgett retained their seats, with several running unopposed or winning comfortably against challengers. These results maintained the current composition of Georgia’s highest courts heading into the general election period.
State Legislature
For members of the Cobb Legislative Delegation, election night was a great one with each current incumbent in both the six Senate seats and 16 House seats winning their primary election. The following incumbent candidates had primary challengers: Senator Donzella James, who was challenged by Mel Keyton; Senator Jaha Howard, who was challenged by both Elfreda Desvignes and Erica-Denise Solomon; Representative Mary Frances Williams, who was challenged by Graham Salter Bowers; Representative Gabriel Sanchez, who was challenged by Carlos Vilela; and Representative Mekyah McQueen, who was challenged by Grace McClain.
Cobb Legislative Delegation incumbents demonstrated their strength not only through their victories, but in the margins of those wins. Among those facing primary challengers, Senator Donzella James posted the largest margin with 82.7% against Mel Keyton, while freshman Senator Jaha Howard recorded the smallest, securing 68.3% against Elfreda Desvignes and Erica-Denise Solomon.
Going into November, only 13 incumbents out of the 22 Cobb Legislative Delegation members have challengers in the General Election. Accordingly, nine of the current incumbents are safe for the remainder of election season. Those include Sen. Donzella James, Sen. Michael "Doc" Rhett, Sen. Jaha Howard, Rep. Mary Frances Williams, Rep. David Wilkerson, Rep. Terry Cummings, Rep. Michael Smith, Rep. Solomon Adesanya, and Rep. Sheila Jones.
At the Local Level
As it was for the state delegation, it was a good night to be an incumbent as two Cobb County Commissioners and our Solicitor successfully fought off primary opponents.
Two incumbent Republican Cobb County Commissioners had little trouble defeating primary challengers in the May 19 election. In District 1, which covers northwest Cobb including Acworth and Kennesaw, Commissioner Keli Gambrill turned back a challenge from Cobb Development Authority Chairman Clark Hungerford with 71.7% of the vote. With no Democratic challenger in the race, Gambrill is set for another term. She has held the seat since first being elected in 2018.
In District 3, which covers northeast Cobb, longtime Commissioner JoAnn Birrell had similar results with her Republican challenger Chris Wasserman, a local talent business owner, with 72.24% of the vote. First elected in 2010, Birrell continues her crusade to keep her seat and enter a fifth term, as she will face Democrat Kevin Redmon in the November general election.
Also on the ballot, incumbent Solicitor General Makia Metzger defeated attorney Christopher Futch in the Democratic primary and will head to November without a Republican opponent, effectively securing another term.
Several Cobb Superior and State Court judges running uncontested were also returned to the bench. Four incumbents from the State Court were reelected after running uncontested in the nonpartisan election Tuesday. State Court Chief Judge Eric Brewton (Division I, Post 5) and State Court Judges Jason Fincher (Division II, Post 1), Ashley Palmer (Division II, Post 5) and Bridgette Campbell Glover (Division II, Post 4) all kept their seats.
Cobb Superior Court Chief Judge Ann Harris as well as Superior Court Judges Sonja Brown and Rob Leonard II were also reelected after running unopposed. Uncontested Republican Chris Evans was also reelected to the county surveyor position.
WHAT'S NEXT
Key Dates for the Primary Runoff
Early voting for runoffs is a shorter timeframe due to the quick turnaround. For the 2026 General Primary Runoff, early voting starts on Monday, June 8 and runs through Friday, June 12. There is no weekend voting as the General Primary Runoff is Tuesday, June 16.
What Cobb County voters need to know:
- Voters do not need to re-register to participate in the runoff.
- Voters who participated in a party's primary must vote in that same party's runoff.
- Voters who did not vote in the May 16 primary may still participate and may choose either party's runoff ballot.
- Independents and first-time primary participants are also welcome to vote in the runoff if they are registered to vote.
Unclear as to who will be on the runoff ballot? Check our chart below for key races that impact voters in Cobb. Green means those candidates move on to the November election without a runoff. Yellow means depending on which ticket you pull, you’ll see them on your runoff ballot. Since there are no runoffs for our Cobb Legislative Delegation, we’ve just included them so you will know who is challenging them in the General Election.
FEDERAL UPDATE
Washington Fly-In
There are only four seats left to the 2026 Washington, D.C. Fly-In held September 16 – 18. Registration includes airport transfers, lodging at the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel, just steps away from the White House and other historic locations.
The agenda includes meetings with members of Congress and the U.S. Senate, their staff and key Federal Agency personnel. For a recap of the 2025 visit, click here. This synopsis will give you a first-hand glance at the type of trip to expect from the Cobb Chamber Advocacy Team.
To register, click here. If you have any questions about the trip, please contact to Amanda Seals, Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Government Relations.
If you have any questions about the Cobb Chamber advocacy efforts or its Government Affairs Committee, please reach out to Amanda Seals, Executive Vice President of Advocacy and Government Relations, or Coleman Loftin, Senior Manager, Government Affairs and Advocacy.
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