ATLANTA — With Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announcing his bid for governor in 2026, several candidates could follow suit to force one of the costliest races in Georgia history. Gov. Brian Kemp will hit his term limit in the next election, opening the door for candidates and donors to make their moves.
Two weeks after election day, Emory University Doctor of Political Science Andra Gillespie said the clock is ticking for the next election.
"I'm not surprised people are gearing up for 2026," Gillespie said. "So announcing their candidacy so they can start raising funds, start to garner support and get out ahead in terms of fundraising and name recognition game."
Carr is the first candidate to throw his name in the ring for governor. Former Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Carr attorney general in 2016. He has since won two elections and created a statewide human trafficking unit and a statewide gang prosecution unit. In his announcement, Carr said he wanted to build on the legacies of Governors Kemp, Deal and Sonny Perdue. He promised to create jobs, keep Georgians safe and defend freedom.
"He certainly has statewide experience, certainly has some name recognition," Gillespie said. "He may have more appeal to your more traditional Republican voters in the state, but he's going to try and compete with Burt Jones, with the more MAGA wing of the state's Republicans."
Gillespie said Carr can rally more of the state's establishment Republican voters. But he could contend with other GOP candidates in the primary, including Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and former U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler.
Jones is a staunch ally of President-Elect Donald Trump, who Carr has closely aligned with himself in many instances. Jones's chief of staff sent 11Alive a statement when asked about Carr's entry into the race, but she did not clarify whether he was considering a run for governor:
“Georgians just endured a long election where the Lt. Governor was proud to fight alongside President Trump - now it’s time to get to work. Burt is focused on delivering conservative solutions to the issues the General Assembly will tackle during the upcoming legislative session.”
Raffensperger has been at odds with Mr. Trump ever since the former president phoned up the secretary of state and asked him to find many votes in Georgia in the 2020 presidential election. Loeffler did not rule out a future run for office when she spoke with the 11Alive political team earlier this summer. She also has close ties to Trump, who was recently selected to plan his inauguration in 2025.
Republicans have traditionally performed well in the Georgia governor's race. The last Democrat to be elected to the Peach State's highest office was Roy Barnes, who was elected in 1998.
The Georgia Democratic Party issued a response to Carr's bid, saying:
"For eight years, Attorney General Chris Carr has used his office to rip away Georgia women’s reproductive freedom, try to gut our health care, waste taxpayer dollars defending Governor Kemp’s extreme agenda, and give a free pass to his allies’ corruption. Georgians have already endured eight years of this failed leadership, and we’re looking forward to rejecting it in 2026 in favor of a strong Democratic governor who will put Georgians first.”
Gillespie said some mayors or potentially Rep. Lucy McBath (D-07) could vie for the Democratic nomination for governor. She said it would be an uphill battle, but no matter who wins, Gillespie said voters would make decisions at the polls based on critical issues such as healthcare, crime and the economy.
“They’re going to look to see if there’s a Democratic Party candidate who can be competitive and would actually be willing to run for office, not necessarily to guarantee a Democratic victory in the state, but at least to be able to perform," Gillespie said. “You still have to assume the fundamentals in the state still privilege Republicans. There are still more Republican voters than Democrats in the state.”