Georgia’s primary election season is officially over (finally), so you can turn off “do not disturb” for unknown numbers and check your mailbox without wincing—at least until October. Though when one season ends, another must begin, and so begins Georgia’s special session which gaveled in yesterday at 2pm.

Election results 

(Results have not yet been certified, final numbers are subject to change)

GOP Results: 

• Republican Nominee for US Senate: Congressman Mike Collins defeated former football coach Derek Dooley, 55.54% to 44.46%.

• Republican Nominee for Governor: In the most expensive GOP primary for Governor in the state’s history, political outsider Rick Jackson beat current Lt. Governor Burt Jones 52.65% to 47.35%.

• Republican Nominee for Lt. Governor: Despite garnering a majority of the votes in the May primary, former Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy was defeated by Senator and Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, Greg Dolezal, 54.2% to 45.8%.

• Republican Secretary of State Nominee: State Representative and former Chief of Staff to Governor Kemp, Tim Fleming, bested former Democrat turned MAGA Republican Vernon Jones for the Secretary of State nomination by 64.5% to 35.5%.

• Republican Nominee for State School Superintendent: in spite of some major opposition from State House members who championed his defeat, incumbent Superintendent Richard Woods eked out a victory over opponent Bubba Longgrear. 

• Public Service Commission (PSC) District 5 Republican Nominee: engineer Josh Tolbert clinched the nomination against Bobby Mehan.

• The 11th Congressional District’s Nominee: Dr. John Cowan will be on the ballot in November after defeating Congressman Barry Loudermilk’s former Chief of Staff, Rob Adkerson.

The Democrats, for their part, had much fewer races to contend with:

• State Senator Josh McLaurin handily defeated former State Senator Nabilah Parkes, 54.88% to 45.12% for the party’s Lt. Governor nomination.

• Former Fulton County State Judge Penny Brown Reynolds will be the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State.

• Former State Representative Keisha Sean Waites won the party’s nomination for Commissioner of Insurance. 

• For Commissioner of Labor, Democrat Nikki Porcher will serve as the party’s nominee in November

•  Georgia State Senate & State House Races:

• Senate District 7: Representative Ruwa Romman won the nomination to fill former Senator Nabilah Parkes’ State Senate seat beginning in January 2027, while Adrienne White (D) has been elected to serve the remainder of Parkes’ remaining 2026 term after she resigned her seat to run for Lt. Governor

• Senate District 10: Larry Johnson has won the Democratic nomination for Senator Emanuel Jones’ safe Democratic seat

• Senate District 14: Former GDOT board member Kevin Abel, after a hard-fought primary, has clinched the Democratic nomination for Democratic Lt. Governor Nominee Josh McLaurin’s Senate seat 

• Senate District 46: Marc McMain will serve as the Republican nominee for Senator Bill Cowsert’s old seat in November

• Senate District 51: Governor’s Floor Leader and Representative Will Wade bested trial attorney Philip Milam for Steve Gooch’s north Georgia Senate seat.

• House District 47: Jack Miller will be the Republican nominee for the current House Speaker Pro Tempore Jan Jones’ seat

• House District 117: Democrat Kim Smith has bested incumbent Mary Ann Santos and has no Republican opponent in November

• House District 177: In an interesting turn of events after the resignation of former Representative Dexter Sharper for COVID-19 unemployment fraud, Democrat Alvin Payton won the special election to represent the district through the remainder of Sharper’s turn, but lost to Elsie Cason Napier for the Democratic nomination to serve the new full term beginning in January. Napier will not face a Republican opponent in November 

Special Session:

Redistricting is off the table for the special session that began yesterday. The Governor’s call for the Special Session allowed the General Assembly to consider redistricting following the Louisiana v. Callais US Supreme Court ruling. However, for the last few weeks, House leadership has been quietly fighting back against the call to redistrict and announced on Wednesday that they would not be taking it up.  

This frees up lawmakers to focus on the July 1 election ballot QR code deadline, which was the original purpose of the special session. The Senate has introduced SB 3EX which would move the deadline to phase out QR codes to January 2028 and create an “Election Equipment Specifications and Standards Committee”. The proposal passed the Senate Ethics Committee on party lines this morning. 

In a rebuff to Governor Kemp after he made a series of appropriations “disregard” statements, line item vetoes, and outright vetoes, the House moved to reconsider the Governor’s veto of HB 1192. The reconsideration will happen on Monday when the bill sponsor is able to attend. The vetoed legislation would prohibit funds that are appropriated to the Department of Human Services and/or the Department of Community Health for a specific purpose to be used for any other purpose. Governor Kemp vetoed the legislation as being a legislative overstep into “operational oversight of executive branch agencies.” This potentially sets the stage for an interesting dynamic between the executive and legislative branches.  

Finally, the adjournment resolution for the special session has also been announced. Lawmakers will take Friday, Juneteenth, and Sunday, Father’s Day, off, but will meet Saturday and Monday, then presumably Monday through Friday until they achieve the purpose of special session and adjourn. With redistricting no longer being considered (and any subjects that are not in the Governor’s call for the special session being off limits), it will likely be a short, if not sweet, special session.