Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1547005
64 maconmagazine.com | October/November 2026 YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE Race for GA governor's office in the national spotlight G eorgia voters will elect their next governor in the Nov. 3 midterm. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) will run against Jackson Healthcare founder Rick Jackson (R). Former President Joe Biden endorsed Bottoms in May, while Jackson defeated Trump-backed Burt Jones in a narrow primary election. The two candidates have feuded in recent months. Bottoms confronted Jackson outside an Atlanta hotel over campaign ads that targeted her husband, Home Depot executive Derek Bottoms. Bottoms has also advocated for multiple debates across the state, including in cities like Macon, Savannah and Columbus. Jackson previously pushed for a singular town hall debate. The race has drawn national attention as well. Democrats came surprisingly close to winning the gubernatorial race in 2018, when Stacey Abrams lost by only 55,000 votes. While Bottoms was easily the most high-pro le Democratic By Nathaniel Jordan The Telegraph candidate in the primary, some in the party have doubts about her ability to defeat Jackson. Bottoms gained some national notoriety as Atlanta's mayor years ago, particularly when she spoke out as Atlanta protested following the death of George Floyd. She has faced criticism for her lackluster lone term in that position but is hoping to replicate — and improve upon — Abrams' success to topple Jackson. National politics loom large in the race, particularly after a heavyweight battle in the Republican primary between Jackson and former Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who dueled for support among Georgia's Republican politicians as much as its red voter base. Jackson repeatedly leaned on platforms about harsher immigration policy and anti-abortion laws, aligning with President Donald Trump in that race — he even said he would be Trump's "favorite governor." But Jackson has since released a policy agenda that mentions few of those talking points as he no longer contends with Jones. HAVE YOUR SAY ON NOV. 3 For more essential information on the 2026 election, including several more races and their candidates, visit macon.com and check out The Telegraph's full voter guide.