Key Question
Can Keisha Lance Bottoms close a one-point gap with Rick Jackson?
Timeline for Keisha Lance Bottoms
#18 23 Sept
YouGov puts Ossoff 10 points clear
US Midterms 2026Background
Keisha Lance Bottoms is a Democratic politician and former mayor of Atlanta. She served as mayor from 2018 to 2022 and is the Democratic candidate in Georgia's open 2026 governor's race.
Her statewide candidacy gives her a role beyond Atlanta municipal politics. The campaign centres on whether a former big-city mayor can assemble a winning Coalition across Georgia.
A YouGov poll reported on 23 September placed Bottoms on 44%, one point behind Republican Rick Jackson. The result made the governor's contest competitive, but it remains a campaign measure rather than a durable measure of her political standing.
Common Questions
Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms?
Is the Georgia governor's race close?
Yes. A YouGov poll fielded 15 to 18 September 2026 had Republican Rick Jackson at 45% and Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms at 44%.Source: YouGov
Who is Keisha Lance Bottoms running against for Georgia governor?
She faces Republican Rick Jackson, a healthcare businessman, in Georgia's open 2026 governor's race.Source: event
How the World Sees Them
Democrats
See Bottoms' level poll standing as proof Georgia's governor's race is competitive, not a Republican lock.
Her Atlanta mayoral record anchors the campaign's message.
Republicans
Frame Jackson's one-point lead as evidence his outsider healthcare-executive pitch is working.
His campaign points to the poll as momentum heading into the final weeks.