Georgia legislative elections lack the competitive spirit
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Georgia's a swing state that could make or break the White House hopes of Vice President Kamala Harris or former President Trump. But you might not find many competitive or even contested races further down the ballot.
Why it matters: Competition makes better athletes, gas-station taquerias and politics.
- Challengers can keep incumbents on their toes and, by extension, can create a more motivated and representative government.
Catch up quick: Since 2020, more than half the races in the Georgia House and Senate seats were uncontested, according to a Fair Districts Georgia analysis. 2024 is no different.
- In 2022, "competitive" state House races — those with a final margin of victory of 7 percentage points or lower — made up only 5% of the total vote count.
Context: Ballotpedia's Competitiveness Index ranks Georgia 34th out of the 44 states holding elections this year. That's a vast improvement over the early 2010s elections where the state ranked at or near the bottom.
- The elections data website factors incumbents on the ballots, contested primaries and major-party competition.
Zoom in: Several factors drive a less competitive election cycle, according to UGA political science professor Charles Bullock:
🗺️ Gerrymandering: Majority parties draw the political maps and tend to create safe districts favoring their own party.
- In 2023, a federal judge upheld Georgia's Republican-drawn maps that pushed U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Duluth), a possible 2026 gubernatorial Democratic candidate, out of her district.
⭐️ Higher-level races: Political parties might be focusing cash and attention on statewide races like governor and attorney general, which come with greater influence and an elevated profile.
🤝 Lack of (or poor) party recruitment: Finding opposite-party candidates for general elections can be difficult in strong Republican or Democratic districts.
Yes, but: Some districts, particularly in Atlanta's diverse suburbs, can become competitive over time, Bullock says.
- After handily winning three terms in office, former Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Lawrenceville) narrowly escaped defeat in 2018 against Democratic nominee Carolyn Bourdeaux.
What we're watching: Pockets of metro Atlanta suburbs, on the other hand, are hotbeds of competition.