Georgia is going to have hotly contested elections up and down the ballot this year, and it starts with the May 19 primary elections. The Democratic and Republican candidates who’ll officially appear on the ballot for races ranging from the governor’s office to the state legislature to Fulton County Commission have emerged, after qualifying on March 6.

Judicial races usually don’t draw challengers, but this year two Georgia Supreme Court justices as well as two Georgia Court of Appeals judges are facing opposition. The nonpartisan races will be decided May 19. Jurists on both courts serve six-year terms, and candidates must have practiced law for at least seven years. 

Here’s a rundown of the most competitive primaries for statewide and metro Atlanta contests:

US Senate

Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff is running unopposed in his party’s primary. 

However, he’s drawn five Republican challengers who’re seeking their party’s nomination: 

US House of Representatives, District 13

The Democratic primary for Congressional District 13, held by Rep. David Scott (D-Atlanta) for 23 years, is shaping up as Atlanta’s most competitive congressional primary. Six upstarts are seeking to unseat the 10-term congress member, who at age 80 is facing scrutiny over his mental acuity. The seat is a Democratic stronghold, and the Republican primary is uncontested with Jonathan Chavez as the presumptive nominee.

Here are the Democrats running: 

Georgia Supreme Court

Three out of nine Georgia Supreme Court justices are up for re-election on May 19 in this nonpartisan race: Ben Land, Charlie Bethel, and Sarah Warren. Land is running unopposed, but Bethel and Warren are facing unexpected challengers. 

Georgia Court of Appeals

Five out of 15 Georgia Court of Appeals judges are up for reelection on May 19 in this nonpartisan race: Sara Doyle, D. Todd Markle, J. Wade Padgett, Elizabeth Gobeil, and E. Trenton Brown. Two of them, Brown and Gobeil, have attracted challengers. 

Governor

There were some last–minute shakeups to the Democratic slate, with seven candidates qualifying for the ballot. Relative unknown Amanda Duffy emerged, while Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-Duluth) dropped out to run for Senate District 7. That seat opened up when Sen. Nabilah Parkes (D-Duluth) announced she was running for insurance commissioner. However, Parkes made a last-minute switch and is now running in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.

The Republican field of candidates is also crowded, with eight candidates vying to replace Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. Leland Olinger, who’d previously said he was running, ultimately did not qualify, but another hopeful, Tom Williams, did. Williams also ran for governor in 2022. 

Democrats: 

Republicans: 

Lieutenant Governor

For the Democrats, State Sen. Josh McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs) seemed on track to cruise to an easy nomination, but then Sen. Nabilah Parkes (D-Duluth) jumped into the race. Richard Wright, an accountant, is also running in the Democratic primary. 

The Republican field is far more crowded, with seven candidates vying to replace Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is running for governor: 

Labor Commissioner 

Incumbent Labor Commissioner Barbara Rivera Holmes, a Republican, is running unopposed in her primary.

There are five Democrats seeking their party’s nomination:

Secretary of State

Since incumbent Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, is running for governor, this is an open primary. 

Democrats:

Republicans:

Attorney General

The incumbent Republican, Attorney General Chris Carr, is running for governor, so this is an open race. 

Democrats: 

Republicans: 

Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner

Republican incumbent John King is running unopposed. 

Five Democratic challengers are seeking their party’s nomination: 

State School Superintendent

Republican incumbent Richard Woods is facing multiple Republican primary opponents: 

Three Democrats are running for school superintendent: 

Agriculture Commissioner

Republican incumbent Tyler Harper is running unopposed. 

Two Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination to run against him:

Public Service Commission (PSC)

Two PSC seats are up for election this year, which will determine the partisan balance of power on the five-member commission. 

PSC, District 3: This seat is currently held by Democrat Peter Hubbard. Republicans Fitz Johnson (who previously held the seat) and Brandon Martin are seeking their party’s nomination to challenge Hubbard. 

PSC, District 5: This seat is currently held by Republican Tricia Pridemore, but she isn’t seeking reelection. The open primary has attracted three candidates from either party. 

Democrats: 

Republicans: 

Georgia State Senate

Senate District 7

Sen. Nabilah Parkes (D-Duluth) is running for lieutenant governor, which opens up this safe Democratic seat for a competitive primary. The Republican primary is uncontested, with Aizaz Shaikh as the presumptive nominee. 

Because Parkes resigned her seat, there is also a May 19 special election to fill Senate District 7 until the end of the year. To understand which names will appear on you ballots for the special election versus the primary, read our explainer here.

Senate District 14 

This safe Democratic seat is open, because incumbent Sen. Josh McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs) is running for lieutenant governor.

Three Democrats are running to fill it:

Three Republicans are seeking their party’s nomination:

Senate District 27 

This safe Republican seat is open, because Sen. Greg Dolezal (R-Cumming) is running for lieutenant governor. That makes for a competitive GOP primary. The Democratic primary is uncontested, with Jessica Roper as the presumptive nominee. Here are the Republicans:

Senate District 48 

The incumbent, Sen. Shawn Still (R-Suwanee), is unopposed in the GOP primary – but Democrats are hoping to flip this district in November. Still will face either Nathan Hombroek or Laura Murvatian as his Democratic opponent. 

Georgia House of Representatives

House District 37

In Marietta’s House District 37 the Democratic incumbent, Rep. Mary Frances Williams, faces a young progressive challenger, IT professional Graham Bowers, in the primary. No Republican is running, so whoever wins the Democratic primary wins the seat. 

Williams, who flipped the seat in 2018 and is now seeking a fifth term, tried to boot Bowers off the ballot by challenging his residency – but a state administrative law judge ruled April 1 that Bowers is qualified to run.Worth noting: Bowers is backed by Dr. Parin Chheda, who served as a senior campaign staffer for progressive young Democrat Sam Foster’s bid for Marietta mayor last fall. Foster lost to the four-term Republican incumbent, Steve ‘Thunder’ Tumlin, by just 87 votes. Chheda in an Instagram post said Williams’ failure to back Foster for mayor is one reason she’s facing her own progressive challenger.

House District 51

The Democratic incumbent, Rep. Esther Panitch (D-Sandy Springs), is facing a primary challenge from the left by Aaron Baker. For the Republicans, Keith Gettman is running unopposed in the primary.

House District 53

In House District 53, which extends from Buckhead north to Roswell, Democrats Beth Fuller, a former CDC contractor, and tech entrepreneur Tim Dorr are duking it out for the primary nomination to take on the Republican incumbent, Rep. Deborah Silcox (R-Sandy Springs). Democrats are hoping to flip this swing seat in the general election.

House District 57

The Democratic incumbent, Rep. Stacey Evans (D-Atlanta), is facing a primary challenge from Jeremiah Olney, who’s a member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s Atlanta chapter. For the Republicans, Helmut Love is running unopposed in the primary.

House District 58

The Democratic incumbent, Rep. Park Cannon (D-Atlanta), decided not to seek reelection on short notice. That attracted four last-minute qualifiers for what is now a competitive Democratic primary for the deep blue seat: 

Torrey Balam is running for the GOP in an uncontested primary. 

House District 62

This safe Democratic seat has opened up, since the incumbent, Rep. Tanya Miller (D-Atlanta), is running for attorney general. That has attracted four Democratic challengers. No Republicans are running.

House District 68

The seat is open, because Rep. Derrick Jackson (D-Tyrone) is running for governor in the Democratic primary.

Here are the primary candidates – all Democrats. 

  • Mark Baker, former chair of the South Fulton Development Authority and former South Fulton City Council member 
  • Jonathan Bonner, project manager for video-display maker Barco, community organizer, and Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member
  • Courtney Heard, community activist and Navy veteran. 
  • Quentin “Q” Pullen, founded The Fitness Ranch, a Fayetteville nonprofit, and is a former Marine
  • Timoria Saba, maternal health policy and community advocate
  • Jane Williams, legal administrator for criminal defense attorney Dennis C. Francis Jr. and three-time candidate for the seat

House District 90

The vacancy created by Democratic incumbent Rep. Saira Draper’s (D-Atlanta) move to a Senate race has set up a crowded Democratic primary for this safely blue seat.

Draper is running for the Senate District 44 seat, also safely blue, after Sen. Elena Parent (D-Atlanta) unexpectedly announced March 5 that she’s not seeking reelection. 

Five Democrats qualified for the House District 90 primary. 

Samantha Nicole Boston qualified as the sole Republican primary candidate.

House District 97

Rep. Ruwa Romman (D-Duluth) is running for state senate, and two Democrats are seeking to replace her in this safe blue district: Jacques Laurent and Jyot Singh. A Republican, Yassin Moghazi, qualified as the sole candidate for the GOP primary.

House District 99

Democrats are hoping to flip this seat held by Republican Rep. Matt Reeves (R-Duluth) in November, but first they need to decide between Shelly Abraham and Michelle Kang in the primary. 

House District 100

Rep. David Clark (R-Buford) is running for lieutenant governor, opening up a Republican primary for this safely red seat between Josh Clark and Edwin Duncan. The sole Democrat qualified is Jennifer Ambler.

Fulton County Commission

Fulton Commission Chair

The Fulton County Commission’s longtime Democratic chair, Rob Pitts, has drawn primary opposition from two of his Democratic colleagues, District 5 Commissioner Marvin Arrington, Jr. and District 4 Commissioner Mo Ivory. For the Republicans, Eric Tatum is running uncontested for his party’s nomination.

Fulton Commission, District 3

Dana Barrett, the current District 3 commissioner, is vying for the Democratic nomination for secretary of state, opening up the primary for her seat to both parties. 

Democrats: 

Republicans: 

Fulton Commission, District 4

District 4 Commissioner Mo Ivory, a Democrat, is running for Fulton commission chair, forcing her to resign her seat. A special election has been called for Nov. 3.

Fulton Commission, District 5 

Democrat Marvin Arrington, Jr., the longtime District 5 commissioner, is running for Fulton commission chair, which opens up the Democratic primary for his seat. One Republican, Tiffany Henyard, is running uncontested in the GOP primary.

Alessandro is an award-winning reporter, who, before calling Atlanta home, worked in Cambodia and Florida. There, he covered human rights, the environment, and criminal justice, as well as arts and culture.

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1 Comment

  1. Wow; so many races! Thank you, Alessandro, for your hard work, organization, and diligence in reporting all of that to help the voters!

    Reply
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