Georgia voters will have a chance to shape the future of their state during this election year, with an open seat for governor highlighting the races on the 2026 ballot, with the first votes to be cast for the May 19 primaries.
Republican Governor Brian Kemp is term-limited, and both Republicans and Democrats have multiple candidates vying for their party’s nomination for the general election. But the race for governor is far from the only statewide race gaining attention: Republicans are lining up for the chance to run for the U.S. Senate in November, and challenge Democrat Jon Ossoff.
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The crowded fields for these high-profile races could add a twist to how the primaries play out. Unlike in Florida, where there are not runoffs for party primaries, Georgia does require more than 50% of the vote to win a primary election. That means some races could send the top two vote-getters on to a primary runoff on June 16.
In Brantley County, there are a pair of Republican primaries for county commission seats, as well as two non-partisan Board of Education races.
Brantley County Commission - Post 4
The incumbent in Post 4, Brian Hendrix, is not seeking re-election. No Democrats qualified for this race.
| REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES |
- Justin Bowers - Sales engineer
- James Duncan - Retired
- Ray Griffin - Driver
- Mathew McGrath - Self-employed
- John David Thompson - Public safety
Brantley County Commission - Post 5
The incumbent, Republican Harry Andrew Riggins, is seeking re-election. No Democrats qualified for this race.
| REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES |
- J.T. Flanders - Mycologist
- Harry Andrew Riggins - Retired
- Whitley Autumn Schrack - Homemaker
Brantley County Board of Education - Post 2
Incumbent Kathy Hendrix is seeking re-election. This is a non-partisan race.
| NON-PARTISAN CANDIDATES |
- Lynn Daniels - Human resource director
- Kathy Hendrix - Retired
Brantley County Board of Education - Post 4
There is no incumbent in this election. This is a non-partisan race.
| NON-PARTISAN CANDIDATES |
- Teri Gibson - Retired
- Richard Gill - Teacher
- Kalyn Gilleon - Bookkeeper
- Brenda Sue Johns - Caregiver
Read about the rest of the races in the primary in our 2026 Georgia Voter’s Guide.