Georgia swing voters gauge Kemp-Ossoff 2026 matchup
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Sen. Jon Ossoff and Gov. Brian Kemp. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images; Alyssa Pointer/Bloomberg via Getty Images
In a hypothetical 2026 Senate election matchup between Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, a majority of Georgia swing voters in the latest round of Axios focus groups were not immediately supportive of a Kemp bid.
Why it matters: Given that Kemp is term-limited as governor, many have wondered whether he will turn to challenging incumbent Sen. Ossoff in 2026. Doing so would set up a blockbuster matchup in Ossoff's first re-election bid.
Zoom in: Axios sat in on two Engagious/Sago online focus groups last week with 11 Georgia voters, evenly split between urban and suburban residents. Four are Democrats, three are Republicans, and four are independents.
- A focus group is not a statistically significant sample like a poll, but the responses show how some voters are thinking and talking about current events.
The big picture: Kemp spoke at a National Republican Senatorial Committee meeting on Sea Island over the weekend. This summer he met with GOP Senate leaders on Capitol Hill, Politico reported.
- When asked about 2026 he told reporters at the time: "I'm focused on '24: winning Georgia in '24 and the White House."
Details: Five focus group members said they'd vote for Ossoff in a hypothetical matchup against the governor, and one person said they'd support Kemp. The other five said they didn't know.
- Voters' descriptions of Kemp ranged from "conservative" and "stable" to "selfish" and "extremist." Jessie O., a 44-year-old Atlantan, said she called the governor an "idiot" in a focus group years ago but thinks he's "kind of redeemed himself now, so I would say 'fair.'"
- When asked about the job Ossoff has been doing, five said they approved, and the rest said they didn't know enough to have an opinion. "Don't know much of what he has done, honestly," said Matt H. of Suwanee, to nods from his fellow participants.
What they're saying: "While most of our Georgia swing voters view Governor Kemp favorably, few are enthusiastic," said Rich Thau, president of Engagious, who moderated the focus groups.
- "He would have his work cut out for him in challenging Sen. Ossoff in 2026."
Yes, but: Four participants said they wished Kemp would run against former President Trump for the White House next year, but mainly just to block the former president from a second term. Two said they don't want to ever see Kemp run.
- Others said he should wait until 2028 or later.
- Dana, a 57-year-old Marietta woman, said she didn't like Kemp's COVID policies regarding reopening schools and businesses but wouldn't rule out voting for him as a president — just not yet.
Context: Since his 2022 re-election, Kemp has stepped further into the national spotlight as a Republican who defeated both a Trump-backed primary opponent and a well-funded Democratic rival.
- He launched a federal PAC in the weeks following that 2022 election, which as of June had raised more than $600,000.
The intrigue: Ossoff and Kemp have already sparred publicly over whether the state or federal government should get credit for Georgia's recent influx of electric vehicle industry manufacturers.
- Last summer Kemp accused President Biden of taking "false credit" for them, which prompted Ossoff to say Kemp had thrown a "tantrum" and that it was "just politics" the AJC reported.
Go deeper: Georgia swing voters trust Biden over Trump on Israel-Hamas war