Updated May 14, 2019
Political
Ratings
| Cook Rating | Likely Republican |
| Inside Elections | Lean Republican |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball | Leans Republican |
Electoral History
2018
| Gov. | Republican:: Kemp | Republican:: 50.22% | Republican:: R+1.39 |
| Democrat:: Abrams | 48.83% |
2016
| Pres. | Republican:: Trump | Republican:: 51.05% | Republican:: R+5.16 |
| Democrat:: Clinton | 45.89% | ||
| Sen. | Republican:: Isakson | Republican:: 54.80% | Republican:: R+13.76 |
| Democrat:: Barksdale | 41.04% |
2014
| Gov | Republican:: Deal | Republican:: 52.75% | Republican:: R+7.86 |
| Democrat:: Carter | 44.89% | ||
| Sen. | Republican:: Perdue | Republican:: 52.89% | Republican:: R+7.82 |
| Democrat:: Nunn | 42.21% |
2012
| Pres. | Republican:: Romney | Republican:: 53.33% | Republican:: R+7.82 |
| Democrat:: Obama | 45.51% |
2010
| Gov. | Republican:: Deal | Republican:: 53% | Republican:: R+10 |
| Democrat:: Barnes | 43% | ||
| Sen. | Republican:: Isakson | Republican:: 58.3% | Republican:: R+19.3 |
| Democrat:: Thurmond | 39% |
(Election Results & Statistics, Georgia Secretary Of State, Accessed 5/1/19)
Important Dates
Primary
Voter Registration Deadline: April 20, 2020
Primary: May 19, 2020
Primary Runoff Voter Registration Deadline: June 22, 2020
Primary Runoff: July 21, 2020
General
Voter Registration Deadline: October 5, 2020
General Election: November 3, 2020
General Election Runoff Voter Registration Deadline: December 7, 2020
General Election Runoff: January 5, 2021
(Georgia Secretary Of State, Accessed 5/1/19)
Recent Polling
Morning Consult Approval Ratings
| DATE | INCUMBENT | APPROVE | DISAPPROVE | NO OPINION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 2019 | Republican:: Perdue (R) | 47% | 25% | 29% |
Candidates
Republicans
Sen. David Perdue (R) – Incumbent
David Perdue is Georgia’s junior U.S. Senator, first elected in November 2014. Perdue serves on the Armed Services and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committees as well as the Budget Committee and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. After graduating from Georgia Tech in 1976, Perdue began working as a management consultant. Perdue has over 40 years of business experience and has served as the CEO of both Reebok and Dollar General.
Democrats
Teresa Tomlinson (D)
Teresa Tomlinson is the former mayor of Columbus, GA, serving from 2011 until 2019. Prior to serving in public office, Tomlinson worked as a litigation attorney at Pope, McGlamry, Kilpatrick, Morrison and Norwood, LLP in Atlanta for sixteen years, where she eventually became an equity partner. Tomlinson also served as the Executive Director of Midtown, Inc., a community renewal nonprofit. In April 2019, Tomlinson officially announced her candidacy for U.S. Senate.
Akhenaten Amun (D)
Akhenaten Amun is a teacher at Stockbridge High School who ran for lieutenant governor in 2018. Amun has registered a campaign committee with the FEC but has not filed any paperwork.
Marckeith DeJesus (D)
Marckeith DeJesus is a former candidate for the Georgia State Senate (2017) and House (2016). He has worked as a financial counseling supervisor at Northside Hospital since 2013. DeJesus has registered a campaign committee with the FEC but has not filed any paperwork.
Elaine Whigham Williams (D)
Campaign Website – N/A
Elaine Whigham Williams is an ordained minister who ran a small presidential campaign in 2016. She has worked in the insurance industry since 1998. Williams has registered a campaign committee with the FEC but has not filed any paperwork.
Possible Candidates
Sarah Riggs Amico (D) – Sarah Riggs Amico is the Executive Chairperson of Jack Cooper Holdings Corp., North America’s largest car haul company. Prior to working at Jack Cooper, Amico worked as the Head of Strategic Planning at APA Talent and Literary Agency in Beverly Hills, CA. In 2018, Amico ran an unsuccessful bid to become Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor. In April 2019, Amico announced she would be conducting a statewide tour to determine if she will run for Senate. Several news outlets, including The Atlanta Journal Constitution, have speculated that she will enter the race.
Jon Ossoff (D) – Jon Ossoff is best known as the Democratic candidate for the 2017 special election in Georgia’s 6th District. Although he lost the election, Ossoff built an impressive fundraising list which he used to help Georgia Democrats in 2018. Prior to running for Congress, Ossoff was a congressional aide and investigative filmmaker. Ossoff has been holding town hall meetings and has also intensified his criticism of Sen. Perdue recently. Following the announcement that Stacey Abrams would not run, Ossoff said he would “take a look” at pursuing the Democratic nomination.
Michelle Nunn (D) – Michelle Nunn is the daughter of former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn and ran for Senate against Perdue in 2014. She currently serves as the President and CEO of CARE USA, an “international-development agency working around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice.” In April 2019, The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Nunn’s allies were encouraging her to consider a run.
Jason Carter (D) – Jason Carter is the grandson of former President Jimmy Carter. From 2010 to 2015 he served in the Georgia State Senate, and he was the 2014 Democratic Nominee for Governor of Georgia. He is currently a partner at Bondurant Mixson & Elmore LLP. The Atlanta Journal Constitution listed Carter as a possible candidate but noted that his entrance into the race was doubtful.
Scott Holcomb (D) – Scott Holcomb is a member of the Georgia House of Representatives and serves on several committees including Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Defense and Veterans Affairs. Holcomb has practiced law since 1998 and is a founding parter of Holcomb & Ward LLP. In April 2019, The Atlanta Journal Constitution listed Holcomb as a possible candidate but noted that his entrance into the race was doubtful.
Raphael Warnock (D) – Raphael Warnock is the pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church, the historic Atlanta church that was once led by Martin Luther King Jr, and a civil rights activist. Warnock also chairs Stacy Abrams’ voter registration organization, the New Georgia Project. In April 2019, The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Warnock has not ruled out a bid but state Democratic officials say it’s unlikely.
Derrick Grayson (R) – Derrick Grayson is a perennial candidate and self-styled “Minister of Truth.” Having run unsuccessful bids for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and 2016, Grayson recently created a 2020 Facebook group.
Fundraising
2019 Q1 Report
| CANDIDATE | RAISED | CASH ON HAND |
|---|---|---|
| Republican:: Perdue (R) | $1.78M | $3.28M |
2018 Year-End Report
| CANDIDATE | RAISED | CASH ON HAND |
|---|---|---|
| Republican:: Perdue (D) | $546K | $1.7M |
Recent News
May 2019
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer: “Former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson Formally Announces 2020 U.S. Senate Bid” (Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, 5/1/19)
The Washington Free Beacon: “Ossoff: ‘I’ll Take A Look’ At Running For Senate In Georgia” (The Washington Free Beacon, 5/6/19)
April 2019
Stacey Abrams said that running for president was “probably third on the list” of her potential future bids for office, behind running for the US Senate or seeking a gubernatorial rematch, CNN reports. (CNN, 4/4/19)
CBS-Columbus reported that former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson is moving closer to a possible Democratic run next year for U.S. Senate. Earlier this week, Tomlinson was in Washington D.C. and met with Sen. Chuck Schumer and Sen. Catherine Cortez-Masto. (CBS-Columbus, 4/4/19)
- Teresa Tomlinson (D-GA), the former mayor of Columbus, filed to create an exploratory committee with the FEC for a possible U.S. Senate run. Despite the creation of the committee, Tomlinson has continued to express support for Stacey Abrams, who is still considering whether to run for Senate. Tomlinson’s new committee allows her to begin fundraising and building a campaign apparatus to be ready to officially run should Abrams pass on the race. (Politico, 4/5/19)
A new poll from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that Stacey Abrams approval ratings had dipped since January. 52% of those surveyed had positive views of her in January. That number dropped to 45% and her unfavorable rating grew from 40% to 45%. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/11/19)
- The same poll showed Sen. David Perdue, with about the same approval rating as he did in January, with 47% of Georgia voters rating him favorably, compared with 45 percent at the beginning of the year. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 4/11/19)
Stacey Abrams said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been “relentless but thoughtful” as he’s tried to persuade the former Georgia gubernatorial candidate to run for Senate next year. (The Hill, 4/12/19)
Sen. David Perdue’s (R-GA) campaign was fined $30,000 for FEC violations from his first Senate campaign in 2014. (The Associated Press, 4/19/19)
Stacey Abrams decided against running for the Senate from Georgia in 2020, CNN reports. (CNN, 4/30/19)
- CBS-Columbus: “Abrams Out, Tomlinson All In For 2020 U.S. Senate Bid Against Perdue” (CBS-Columbus, 4/30/19)
A poll released by the DSCC found that 41% of general election voters view Sen. David Perdue favorably, compared to 30% unfavorably, and 29% didn’t know or had no opinion. The poll also showed that Democrats have a slim lead on a generic ballot for Senate, with 42% support for an unnamed Democratic candidate, versus 40% for an unnamed Republican candidate. (Politico, 4/30/19
March 2019
Democrat Stacey Abrams met last Friday with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is trying to recruit her to run for the Senate next year, The Washington Post reports. (The Washington Post, 3/22/19)
February 2019
The Hill: “Democratic Donors Say They Hope Stacey Abrams Runs For Senate” (The Hill, 2/4/19)
Georgia Public Broadcasting reports that former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is “strongly considering” a potential run for Senate in 2020. (Georgia Public Broadcasting, 2/12/19)
January 2019
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Stacy Abrams (D-GA) is giving herself until the end of March to make up her mind about her next political move. (The Atlanta Journal Constitution, 1/9/19)
Politico reports that Democrat Stacey Abrams met with top Democratic leaders in Washington last week and is reportedly mulling a potential Senate campaign next year. (Politico, 1/11/19)
Stacey Abrams has been tapped by the Democrats to deliver their response to the State of the Union address next week, The Washington Post reports. (The Washington Post, 1/29/19)
ABC News: “Who Is Stacey Abrams, The Democrat Who Will Respond To Trump’s State Of The Union?” (ABC News, 1/30/19)
Politico reports that a group of veteran Republican operatives have set up a new super PAC, the Georgia Action Fund, to support Sen. David Perdue’s reelection campaign in 2020. Paul Bennecke, the former executive director of the Republican Governors Association, will manage the PAC. (Politico, 1/30/19)