Election Name: | 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election |
Country: | Georgia (U.S. state) |
Type: | presidential |
Ongoing: | No |
Turnout: | 56.80% 14.55pp |
Previous Election: | 2014 Georgia gubernatorial election |
Previous Year: | 2014 |
Next Election: | 2022 Georgia gubernatorial election |
Next Year: | 2022 |
Election Date: | November 6, 2018 |
Image1: | File:David Perdue and Brian Kemp (cropped) (cropped).jpg |
Nominee1: | Brian Kemp |
Party1: | Republican Party (United States) |
Popular Vote1: | 1,978,408 |
Percentage1: | 50.22% |
Nominee2: | Stacey Abrams |
Party2: | Democratic Party (United States) |
Popular Vote2: | 1,923,685 |
Percentage2: | 48.83% |
Governor | |
Before Election: | Nathan Deal |
Before Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
After Election: | Brian Kemp |
After Party: | Republican Party (United States) |
The 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, concurrently with other statewide and local elections to elect the next governor of the U.S. state of Georgia. Republican Secretary of State Brian Kemp won the election, defeating Democratic former State Representative Stacey Abrams.
The primary elections were held on May 22, 2018, and a primary runoff was held on July 24, 2018, between Republican candidates Kemp and Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle; Kemp prevailed. Incumbent Republican governor Nathan Deal was term-limited and thus could not seek a third consecutive term. Abrams won the Democratic primary with over 75% of the vote, allowing her to avoid a runoff. Kemp was the sitting Secretary of State at the time of the election. Kemp's position led to accusations of a conflict of interest, as Kemp oversaw the administration of an election in which he was the candidate.
On November 7, Kemp declared victory over Abrams. The following morning, Kemp resigned as Secretary of State.[1] On November 16, every county certified their votes with Kemp leading by roughly 55,000 votes.[2] Shortly after the election certification, Abrams suspended her campaign; she accepted Kemp as the legal winner of the election while refusing to say that the election was legitimate.[3] [4] Abrams has since claimed numerous[5] instances of election activity that allegedly unfairly affected the results. Following the election, Abrams and her organization Fair Fight filed a number of lawsuits challenging the constitutionality and Voting Rights Act compliance of Georgia's voting laws.[6]
Kemp prevailed by 54,723 votes, defeating Abrams 50.2–48.8%. Georgia's 2018 gubernatorial election was its closest governor's race since 1966.[7] Kemp was re-elected governor in 2022 in a rematch with Abrams.
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Casey Cagle | Hunter Hill | Brian Kemp | Clay Tippins | Michael Williams | Other | Undecided | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opinion Savvy | May 15–16, 2018 | 515 | ± 4.3% | align=center | 31% | 14% | align=center | 20% | 12% | 5% | 4% | 15% | ||
SurveyUSA | May 10–15, 2018 | 558 | ± 5.1% | align=center | 35% | 10% | align=center | 17% | 8% | 3% | – | align=center | 27% | |
University of Georgia | April 19–26, 2018 | 507 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 41% | 9% | align=center | 10% | 4% | 3% | 1%[29] | align=center | 33% | |
Meeting Street Research (R-Citizens for Georgia's Future) | March 1 and 3–4, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 38% | align=center | 10% | align=center | 10% | 3% | 2% | 3%[30] | align=center | 35% |
Clarion Research (R-Hill) | March 2–3, 2018 | 547 | ± 4.5% | align=center | 48% | align=center | 21% | 15% | 8% | 7% | – | – | ||
Mason-Dixon | February 20–23, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.5% | align=center | 27% | 11% | align=center | 13% | 12% | 5% | 1%[31] | align=center | 31% | |
Meeting Street Research (R-Citizens for Georgia's Future) | February 6–7, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 31% | 7% | align=center | 12% | 5% | 2% | 3% | align=center | 40% | |
The Wickers Group (R-Kemp) | October 21–24, 2017 | 400 | ± 4.5% | align=center | 34% | 1% | align=center | 13% | 0% | 1% | – | align=center | 48% | |
Landmark/Rosetta Stone | October 16–17, 2017 | 800 | ± 3.5% | align=center | 35% | align=center | 9% | 7% | 1% | 4% | – | align=center | 44% | |
McLaughlin & Associates (R-Cagle) | September 28 – October 1, 2017 | 600 | ± 4.0% | align=center | 41% | 4% | align=center | 12% | 2% | 3% | – | align=center | 39% |
Casey Cagle and Brian Kemp advanced to a runoff on July 24, 2018, since neither candidate amassed over 50% of the vote in the May 22 primary.[32] On July 18, 2018, President Trump tweeted his support for Kemp, and Vice President Pence traveled to Georgia to campaign with him on July 20, 2018.[33]
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Casey Cagle | Brian Kemp | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trafalgar Group (R) | July 21–22, 2018 | 1,177 | ± 2.7% | 41% | align=center | 59% | 0% | |
SurveyUSA | July 15–19, 2018 | 688 | ± 4.7% | 34% | align=center | 40% | 26% | |
Opinion Savvy | July 17–18, 2018 | 466 | ± 4.5% | 37% | align=center | 55% | 8% | |
University of Georgia | July 5–12, 2018 | 769 | ± 3.5% | 41% | align=center | 44% | 15% | |
Public Opinion Strategies (R-Kemp) | June 26–28, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.0% | 45% | 45% | – | ||
Cygnal | June 26–27, 2018 | 812 | ± 3.4% | align=center | 44% | 43% | 14% | |
Rosetta Stone | June 7, 2018 | 400 | ± 4.9% | align=center | 48% | 41% | 12% | |
McLaughlin & Associates (R-Cagle) | May 29–31, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.5% | align=center | 52% | 42% | 5% | |
Public Opinion Strategies (R-Kemp) | May 29–31, 2018 | 600 | ± 4.0% | align=center | 46% | 45% | 9% |
Brian Kemp easily won the runoff by nearly 40 points despite the latest polls having him up by no more than 18. Cagle won only two counties, Monroe and Stephens.[34]
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Stacey Abrams | Stacey Evans | Undecided | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opinion Savvy | May 15–16, 2018 | 522 | ± 4.3% | align=center | 58% | 19% | 23% | ||
SurveyUSA | May 10–15, 2018 | 475 | ± 6.2% | align=center | 43% | 24% | 33% | ||
20/20 Insight (D-Evans) | May 9–15, 2018 | 433 | ± 5.4% | align=center | 42% | 34% | 25% | ||
University of Georgia | April 12–18, 2018 | 473 | ± 4.5% | align=center | 33% | 15% | align=center | 52% | |
Mason-Dixon | February 20–23, 2018 | 500 | ± 4.5% | align=center | 29% | 17% | align=center | 54% |
If no candidate had gained a simple majority of the votes in the general election, a runoff election between the top two candidates would have been held on December 4, 2018.[52]
Source | Ranking | As of | |
---|---|---|---|
The Cook Political Report[54] | October 26, 2018 | ||
The Washington Post[55] | November 5, 2018 | ||
FiveThirtyEight[56] | November 5, 2018 | ||
Rothenberg Political Report[57] | November 1, 2018 | ||
Sabato's Crystal Ball[58] | November 5, 2018 | ||
RealClearPolitics[59] | November 4, 2018 | ||
Daily Kos[60] | November 5, 2018 | ||
Fox News[61] | November 5, 2018 | ||
Politico[62] | November 5, 2018 | ||
Governing[63] | November 5, 2018 |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Brian Kemp (R) | Stacey Abrams (D) | Ted Metz (L) | Other | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Trafalgar Group (R) | October 30 – November 3, 2018 | 2,171 | ± 2.1% | align=center | 52% | 40% | – | 4% | 4% | |
20/20 Insight (D-Southern Majority) | October 31 – November 2, 2018 | 614 | ± 4.0% | 46% | align=center | 50% | 1% | – | 3% | |
Emerson College | October 29–31, 2018 | 724 | ± 3.7% | align=center | 49% | 47% | 1% | – | 2% | |
Cygnal (R) | October 27–30, 2018 | 504 | ± 4.4% | align=center | 49% | 47% | 4% | – | 0% | |
University of Georgia | October 21–30, 2018 | 1,091 | ± 3.0% | 47% | 47% | 2% | – | 5% | ||
Opinion Savvy | October 28–29, 2018 | 623 | ± 3.9% | 47% | align=center | 48% | 2% | – | 3% | |
Opinion Savvy | October 21–22, 2018 | 824 | ± 3.4% | 48% | 48% | 1% | – | 3% | ||
Marist College | October 14–18, 2018 | 554 LV | ± 4.8% | align=center | 46% | 45% | 4% | <1% | 4% | |
align=center | 49% | 47% | – | 1% | 4% | |||||
864 RV | ± 3.8% | 44% | align=center | 46% | 4% | <1% | 6% | |||
47% | 47% | – | 1% | 5% | ||||||
Ipsos | October 4–11, 2018 | 1,088 | ± 3.4% | align=center | 47% | 46% | 2% | 1% | 4% | |
University of Georgia | September 30 – October 9, 2018 | 1,232 | ± 2.8% | align=center | 48% | 46% | 2% | – | 4% | |
SurveyUSA | October 3–8, 2018 | 655 | ± 4.9% | align=center | 47% | 45% | – | 2% | 6% | |
Public Policy Polling (D-Georgia Engaged) | October 5–6, 2018 | 729 | ± 3.0% | 46% | 46% | – | – | 7% | ||
Landmark Communications | October 1, 2018 | 964 | ± 3.2% | align=center | 48% | 46% | 2% | – | 3% | |
SurveyMonkey | September 9–24, 2018 | 1,955 | ± 3.0% | 43% | 43% | – | – | 14% | ||
Garin-Hart-Yang (D-Abrams) | September 17–20, 2018 | 603 | ± 4.1% | 42% | align=center | 48% | 3% | – | 7% | |
University of Georgia | August 26 – September 4, 2018 | 1,020 | ± 3.1% | 45% | 45% | 2% | – | 8% | ||
Gravis Marketing | July 27–29, 2018 | 650 | ± 3.8% | 44% | align=center | 46% | – | – | 10% | |
SurveyUSA | July 15–19, 2018 | 1,199 | ± 4.3% | align=center | 46% | 44% | – | – | 10% | |
Garin-Hart-Yang (D-Abrams) | May 23–25, 2018 | 601 | ± 4.0% | 40% | align=center | 49% | – | – | – | |
Mason-Dixon | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | 37% | align=center | 40% | – | – | 23% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Casey Cagle (R) | Stacey Abrams (D) | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SurveyUSA | July 15–19, 2018 | 1,199 | ± 4.3% | align=center | 45% | 43% | 12% | |
Garin-Hart-Yang (D-Abrams) | May 23–25, 2018 | 601 | ± 4.0% | 43% | align=center | 48% | – | |
SurveyUSA | May 10–15, 2018 | 2,339 | ± 3.5% | align=center | 46% | 41% | 14% | |
Mason-Dixon | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | align=center | 45% | 39% | 16% |
Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size | Margin of error | Casey Cagle (R) | Stacey Evans (D) | Undecided | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SurveyUSA | May 10–15, 2018 | 2,339 | ± 3.5% | align=center | 45% | 41% | 13% | |
Mason-Dixon | February 20–23, 2018 | 625 | ± 4.0% | align=center | 47% | 38% | 15% |
All results from the office of the Secretary of State of Georgia.[64]
County | Brian Kemp Republican | Stacey Abrams Democratic | Ted Metz Libertarian | Total votes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
% | % | % | ||||||
Appling | 79.72% | 5,428 | 19.94% | 1,358 | 0.34% | 23 | 6,809 | |
Atkinson | 74.39% | 1,876 | 25.26% | 637 | 0.36% | 9 | 2,522 | |
Bacon | 86.71% | 3,321 | 12.77% | 489 | 0.52% | 20 | 3,830 | |
Baker | 58.24% | 753 | 41.38% | 535 | 0.39% | 5 | 1,293 | |
Baldwin | 49.47% | 7,735 | 49.84% | 7,793 | 0.69% | 108 | 15,636 | |
Banks | 89.75% | 6,150 | 9.41% | 645 | 0.83% | 57 | 6,852 | |
Barrow | 73.57% | 20,162 | 25.18% | 6,900 | 1.25% | 343 | 27,405 | |
Bartow | 76.09% | 28,425 | 22.82% | 8,524 | 1.10% | 410 | 37,359 | |
Ben Hill | 63.80% | 3,539 | 35.75% | 1,983 | 0.45% | 25 | 5,547 | |
Berrien | 85.00% | 5,314 | 14.40% | 900 | 0.61% | 38 | 6,252 | |
Bibb | 38.27% | 23,225 | 61.07% | 37,066 | 0.66% | 401 | 60,692 | |
Bleckley | 78.52% | 3,816 | 20.62% | 1,002 | 0.86% | 42 | 4,860 | |
Brantley | 91.29% | 5,198 | 8.10% | 461 | 0.61% | 35 | 5,694 | |
Brooks | 61.36% | 3,511 | 38.24% | 2,188 | 0.40% | 23 | 5,722 | |
Bryan | 70.12% | 10,507 | 28.78% | 4,313 | 1.10% | 165 | 14,985 | |
Bulloch | 62.69% | 14,848 | 36.44% | 8,630 | 0.87% | 205 | 23,683 | |
Burke | 50.57% | 4,410 | 48.95% | 4,269 | 0.48% | 42 | 8,721 | |
Butts | 71.74% | 6,358 | 27.65% | 2,451 | 0.61% | 54 | 8,863 | |
Calhoun | 42.65% | 810 | 57.08% | 1,084 | 0.26% | 5 | 1,899 | |
Camden | 65.29% | 11,139 | 33.57% | 5,727 | 1.14% | 195 | 17,061 | |
Candler | 72.34% | 2,560 | 27.21% | 963 | 0.45% | 16 | 3,539 | |
Carroll | 69.79% | 29,204 | 29.11% | 12,180 | 1.10% | 459 | 41,843 | |
Catoosa | 79.47% | 18,881 | 19.32% | 4,590 | 1.21% | 287 | 23,758 | |
Charlton | 75.08% | 2,534 | 24.36% | 822 | 0.56% | 19 | 3,375 | |
Chatham | 40.01% | 41,425 | 58.97% | 61,059 | 1.02% | 1,059 | 103,543 | |
Chattahoochee | 54.57% | 603 | 44.71% | 494 | 0.72% | 8 | 1,105 | |
Chattooga | 79.85% | 5,936 | 19.44% | 1,445 | 0.71% | 53 | 7,434 | |
Cherokee | 72.08% | 76,700 | 26.36% | 28,047 | 1.56% | 1,664 | 106,411 | |
Clarke | 28.56% | 12,365 | 70.27% | 30,427 | 1.18% | 510 | 43,402 | |
Clay | 45.19% | 536 | 54.13% | 642 | 0.67% | 8 | 1,186 | |
Clayton | 11.79% | 10,868 | 87.81% | 80,971 | 0.40% | 373 | 92,212 | |
Clinch | 76.04% | 1,717 | 23.65% | 534 | 0.31% | 7 | 2,258 | |
Cobb | 44.53% | 138,852 | 54.12% | 168,767 | 1.35% | 4,195 | 311,814 | |
Coffee | 70.78% | 8,929 | 28.78% | 3,630 | 0.44% | 56 | 12,615 | |
Colquitt | 75.83% | 9,830 | 23.56% | 3,054 | 0.61% | 79 | 12,963 | |
Columbia | 66.44% | 40,947 | 32.49% | 20,023 | 1.08% | 664 | 61,634 | |
Cook | 70.93% | 4,116 | 28.73% | 1,667 | 0.34% | 20 | 5,803 | |
Coweta | 69.69% | 40,471 | 29.12% | 16,908 | 1.19% | 692 | 58,071 | |
Crawford | 72.86% | 3,595 | 26.39% | 1,302 | 0.75% | 37 | 4,934 | |
Crisp | 63.05% | 4,445 | 36.55% | 2,577 | 0.40% | 28 | 7,050 | |
Dade | 82.53% | 4,508 | 16.18% | 884 | 1.28% | 70 | 5,462 | |
Dawson | 85.94% | 9,953 | 13.12% | 1,519 | 0.94% | 109 | 11,581 | |
Decatur | 60.05% | 5,492 | 39.53% | 3,615 | 0.43% | 39 | 9,146 | |
DeKalb | 15.64% | 48,923 | 83.47% | 261,042 | 0.89% | 2,776 | 312,741 | |
Dodge | 73.93% | 5,220 | 25.73% | 1,817 | 0.34% | 24 | 7,061 | |
Dooly | 52.73% | 2,001 | 46.96% | 1,782 | 0.32% | 12 | 3,795 | |
Dougherty | 29.69% | 9,330 | 69.94% | 21,980 | 0.37% | 115 | 31,425 | |
Douglas | 39.35% | 21,744 | 59.82% | 33,053 | 0.83% | 458 | 55,255 | |
Early | 55.26% | 2,285 | 44.50% | 1,840 | 0.24% | 10 | 4,135 | |
Echols | 88.19% | 1,008 | 11.02% | 126 | 0.79% | 9 | 1,143 | |
Effingham | 76.89% | 17,969 | 22.01% | 5,145 | 1.10% | 257 | 23,371 | |
Elbert | 69.73% | 5,152 | 29.70% | 2,194 | 0.57% | 42 | 7,388 | |
Emanuel | 69.98% | 5,400 | 29.52% | 2,278 | 0.49% | 38 | 7,716 | |
Evans | 69.39% | 2,392 | 30.17% | 1,040 | 0.44% | 15 | 3,447 | |
Fannin | 82.96% | 9,306 | 16.13% | 1,809 | 0.92% | 103 | 11,218 | |
Fayette | 56.03% | 32,497 | 42.75% | 24,796 | 1.22% | 705 | 57,998 | |
Floyd | 71.10% | 21,569 | 27.84% | 8,445 | 1.07% | 324 | 30,338 | |
Forsyth | 70.57% | 65,845 | 27.97% | 26,092 | 1.46% | 1,361 | 93,298 | |
Franklin | 86.54% | 7,051 | 12.71% | 1,036 | 0.75% | 61 | 8,148 | |
Fulton | 26.66% | 112,991 | 72.34% | 306,589 | 0.99% | 4,208 | 423,788 | |
Gilmer | 83.70% | 10,471 | 15.32% | 1,917 | 0.98% | 122 | 12,510 | |
Glascock | 91.39% | 1,189 | 8.22% | 107 | 0.38% | 5 | 1,301 | |
Glynn | 63.54% | 20,743 | 35.64% | 11,636 | 0.82% | 269 | 32,648 | |
Gordon | 81.93% | 14,586 | 17.11% | 3,046 | 0.97% | 172 | 17,804 | |
Grady | 67.30% | 5,633 | 32.31% | 2,704 | 0.39% | 33 | 8,370 | |
Greene | 65.10% | 5,856 | 34.39% | 3,093 | 0.51% | 46 | 8,995 | |
Gwinnett | 42.23% | 132,998 | 56.55% | 178,097 | 1.21% | 3,823 | 314,918 | |
Habersham | 83.51% | 12,944 | 15.59% | 2,417 | 0.90% | 139 | 15,500 | |
Hall | 73.35% | 49,442 | 25.50% | 17,187 | 1.15% | 777 | 67,406 | |
Hancock | 24.58% | 872 | 75.14% | 2,666 | 0.28% | 10 | 3,548 | |
Haralson | 87.65% | 9,278 | 11.52% | 1,219 | 0.83% | 88 | 10,585 | |
Harris | 74.03% | 11,834 | 25.15% | 4,021 | 0.82% | 131 | 15,986 | |
Hart | 76.60% | 7,370 | 22.64% | 2,178 | 0.77% | 74 | 9,622 | |
Heard | 83.21% | 3,374 | 16.13% | 654 | 0.67% | 27 | 4,055 | |
Henry | 41.97% | 41,364 | 57.31% | 56,485 | 0.72% | 709 | 98,558 | |
Houston | 57.93% | 34,314 | 41.12% | 24,358 | 0.95% | 560 | 59,232 | |
Irwin | 75.83% | 2,701 | 23.89% | 851 | 0.28% | 10 | 3,562 | |
Jackson | 81.60% | 21,950 | 17.38% | 4,674 | 1.02% | 275 | 26,899 | |
Jasper | 74.52% | 4,430 | 24.96% | 1,484 | 0.52% | 31 | 5,945 | |
Jeff Davis | 82.64% | 3,979 | 16.91% | 814 | 0.46% | 22 | 4,815 | |
Jefferson | 46.95% | 3,177 | 52.67% | 3,564 | 0.38% | 26 | 6,767 | |
Jenkins | 64.66% | 1,857 | 34.96% | 1,004 | 0.38% | 11 | 2,872 | |
Johnson | 72.47% | 2,524 | 27.22% | 948 | 0.32% | 11 | 3,483 | |
Jones | 67.82% | 8,438 | 31.65% | 3,938 | 0.52% | 65 | 12,441 | |
Lamar | 69.39% | 5,105 | 29.84% | 2,195 | 0.77% | 57 | 7,357 | |
Lanier | 71.24% | 1,910 | 28.42% | 762 | 0.34% | 9 | 2,681 | |
Laurens | 65.87% | 12,484 | 33.64% | 6,375 | 0.49% | 93 | 18,952 | |
Lee | 74.66% | 10,120 | 24.76% | 3,356 | 0.58% | 79 | 13,555 | |
Liberty | 36.16% | 5,557 | 63.09% | 9,696 | 0.75% | 115 | 15,368 | |
Lincoln | 69.44% | 2,756 | 29.93% | 1,188 | 0.63% | 25 | 3,969 | |
Long | 64.81% | 2,591 | 34.29% | 1,371 | 0.90% | 36 | 3,998 | |
Lowndes | 57.30% | 20,488 | 42.02% | 15,024 | 0.67% | 241 | 35,753 | |
Lumpkin | 79.23% | 9,157 | 19.28% | 2,228 | 1.50% | 173 | 11,558 | |
Macon | 36.90% | 1,556 | 62.89% | 2,652 | 0.21% | 9 | 4,217 | |
Madison | 78.48% | 9,181 | 20.67% | 2,418 | 0.85% | 100 | 11,699 | |
Marion | 63.87% | 1,872 | 35.38% | 1,037 | 0.75% | 22 | 2,931 | |
McDuffie | 60.54% | 5,323 | 38.98% | 3,427 | 0.48% | 42 | 8,792 | |
McIntosh | 59.50% | 3,218 | 39.96% | 2,161 | 0.54% | 29 | 5,408 | |
Meriwether | 58.88% | 5,093 | 40.47% | 3,501 | 0.65% | 56 | 8,650 | |
Miller | 77.88% | 1,803 | 21.68% | 502 | 0.43% | 10 | 2,315 | |
Mitchell | 56.16% | 4,187 | 43.53% | 3,245 | 0.31% | 23 | 7,455 | |
Monroe | 71.94% | 9,308 | 27.18% | 3,516 | 0.88% | 114 | 12,938 | |
Montgomery | 76.13% | 2,686 | 23.27% | 821 | 0.60% | 21 | 3,528 | |
Morgan | 71.22% | 6,807 | 27.99% | 2,675 | 0.80% | 76 | 9,558 | |
Murray | 85.76% | 9,512 | 13.43% | 1,489 | 0.81% | 90 | 11,091 | |
Muscogee | 38.48% | 24,348 | 60.79% | 38,462 | 0.73% | 462 | 63,272 | |
Newton | 45.08% | 19,449 | 54.27% | 23,412 | 0.65% | 280 | 43,141 | |
Oconee | 69.80% | 14,480 | 29.00% | 6,015 | 1.20% | 249 | 20,744 | |
Oglethorpe | 70.44% | 4,568 | 28.48% | 1,847 | 1.08% | 70 | 6,485 | |
Paulding | 66.53% | 40,784 | 32.56% | 19,959 | 0.92% | 562 | 61,305 | |
Peach | 52.01% | 5,432 | 47.54% | 4,966 | 0.45% | 47 | 10,445 | |
Pickens | 84.80% | 11,331 | 14.23% | 1,901 | 0.97% | 130 | 13,362 | |
Pierce | 88.95% | 6,123 | 10.72% | 738 | 0.33% | 23 | 6,884 | |
Pike | 85.71% | 7,322 | 13.63% | 1,164 | 0.67% | 57 | 8,543 | |
Polk | 79.13% | 10,177 | 20.12% | 2,588 | 0.75% | 96 | 12,861 | |
Pulaski | 69.77% | 2,527 | 29.79% | 1,079 | 0.44% | 16 | 3,622 | |
Putnam | 71.82% | 6,704 | 27.63% | 2,579 | 0.56% | 52 | 9,335 | |
Quitman | 55.53% | 522 | 43.62% | 410 | 0.85% | 8 | 940 | |
Rabun | 80.01% | 6,063 | 18.84% | 1,428 | 1.15% | 87 | 7,578 | |
Randolph | 45.07% | 1,257 | 54.43% | 1,518 | 0.50% | 14 | 2,789 | |
Richmond | 31.47% | 22,076 | 67.75% | 47,531 | 0.78% | 548 | 70,155 | |
Rockdale | 31.93% | 11,703 | 67.45% | 24,725 | 0.62% | 227 | 36,655 | |
Schley | 80.96% | 1,565 | 18.26% | 353 | 0.78% | 15 | 1,933 | |
Screven | 60.36% | 3,268 | 39.36% | 2,131 | 0.28% | 15 | 5,414 | |
Seminole | 66.59% | 2,149 | 32.88% | 1,061 | 0.53% | 17 | 3,227 | |
Spalding | 61.17% | 14,937 | 37.92% | 9,258 | 0.91% | 222 | 24,417 | |
Stephens | 80.62% | 7,326 | 18.62% | 1,692 | 0.76% | 69 | 9,087 | |
Stewart | 41.78% | 760 | 57.89% | 1,053 | 0.33% | 6 | 1,819 | |
Sumter | 48.78% | 5,149 | 50.78% | 5,360 | 0.45% | 47 | 10,556 | |
Talbot | 39.51% | 1,167 | 59.75% | 1,765 | 0.74% | 22 | 2,954 | |
Taliaferro | 38.00% | 350 | 61.67% | 568 | 0.33% | 3 | 921 | |
Tattnall | 76.32% | 5,073 | 23.12% | 1,537 | 0.56% | 37 | 6,647 | |
Taylor | 62.81% | 2,069 | 36.58% | 1,205 | 0.61% | 20 | 3,294 | |
Telfair | 66.77% | 2,425 | 32.79% | 1,191 | 0.44% | 16 | 3,632 | |
Terrell | 45.70% | 1,800 | 53.95% | 2,125 | 0.36% | 14 | 3,939 | |
Thomas | 61.22% | 10,557 | 38.29% | 6,602 | 0.49% | 85 | 17,244 | |
Tift | 69.65% | 9,523 | 29.77% | 4,070 | 0.59% | 80 | 13,673 | |
Toombs | 74.75% | 6,623 | 24.84% | 2,201 | 0.41% | 36 | 8,860 | |
Towns | 81.69% | 5,009 | 17.37% | 1,065 | 0.95% | 58 | 6,132 | |
Treutlen | 68.86% | 1,800 | 30.83% | 806 | 0.31% | 8 | 2,614 | |
Troup | 60.77% | 14,533 | 38.55% | 9,218 | 0.68% | 162 | 23,913 | |
Turner | 62.98% | 2,062 | 36.65% | 1,200 | 0.37% | 12 | 3,274 | |
Twiggs | 52.72% | 1,999 | 46.84% | 1,776 | 0.45% | 17 | 3,792 | |
Union | 83.43% | 9,899 | 15.61% | 1,852 | 0.96% | 114 | 11,865 | |
Upson | 66.83% | 7,063 | 32.58% | 3,443 | 0.59% | 62 | 10,568 | |
Walker | 80.97% | 17,400 | 17.86% | 3,838 | 1.17% | 252 | 21,490 | |
Walton | 76.88% | 29,742 | 22.43% | 8,679 | 0.69% | 265 | 38,686 | |
Ware | 71.66% | 7,894 | 27.84% | 3,067 | 0.50% | 55 | 11,016 | |
Warren | 46.57% | 1,053 | 53.07% | 1,200 | 0.35% | 8 | 2,261 | |
Washington | 50.53% | 4,128 | 49.11% | 4,012 | 0.36% | 29 | 8,169 | |
Wayne | 80.15% | 8,120 | 19.15% | 1,940 | 0.70% | 71 | 10,131 | |
Webster | 59.91% | 659 | 40.00% | 440 | 0.09% | 1 | 1,100 | |
Wheeler | 71.05% | 1,372 | 28.74% | 555 | 0.21% | 4 | 1,931 | |
White | 84.51% | 9,667 | 14.40% | 1,647 | 1.09% | 125 | 11,439 | |
Whitfield | 72.30% | 19,758 | 26.80% | 7,323 | 0.90% | 246 | 27,327 | |
Wilcox | 73.32% | 2,064 | 26.47% | 745 | 0.21% | 6 | 2,815 | |
Wilkes | 58.90% | 2,578 | 40.53% | 1,774 | 0.57% | 25 | 4,377 | |
Wilkinson | 55.64% | 2,373 | 44.01% | 1,877 | 0.35% | 15 | 4,265 | |
Worth | 75.39% | 5,915 | 24.14% | 1,894 | 0.47% | 37 | 7,846 |
Kemp won eight of 14 congressional districts. Abrams won the other six, including one that elected a Republican.[65]
District | Kemp | Abrams | Representative | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
56.49% | 42.61% | Buddy Carter | |||
43.62% | 55.89% | Sanford Bishop | |||
64.21% | 34.8% | Drew Ferguson | |||
20.05% | 79.28% | Hank Johnson | |||
11.31% | 87.89% | John Lewis | |||
47.51% | 50.97% | Lucy McBath | |||
48.64% | 50.03% | Rob Woodall | |||
64.11% | 35.22% | Austin Scott | |||
78.82% | 20.13% | Doug Collins | |||
61.39% | 37.74% | Jody Hice | |||
59.33% | 39.27% | Barry Loudermilk | |||
57.69% | 41.58% | Rick W. Allen | |||
23.28% | 75.99% | David Scott | |||
75.38% | 23.65% | Tom Graves | |||
Kemp | No Answer | % of Voters | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender | |||||
Men | 46 | 52 | 2 | 46 | |
Women | 51 | 49 | N/A | 54 | |
Age | |||||
18–24 years old | 60 | 38 | 2 | 9 | |
25–29 years old | 72 | 26 | 2 | 5 | |
30–39 years old | 61 | 38 | 1 | 15 | |
40–49 years old | 49 | 50 | 1 | 19 | |
50–64 years old | 41 | 58 | 1 | 29 | |
65 and older | 40 | 60 | N/A | 22 | |
Race | |||||
White | 25 | 74 | 1 | 60 | |
Black | 93 | 6 | 1 | 30 | |
Latino | 62 | 37 | 1 | 5 | |
Asian | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2 | |
Other | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3 | |
Race by gender | |||||
White men | 25 | 73 | 2 | 28 | |
White women | 25 | 75 | N/A | 32 | |
Black men | 88 | 11 | 1 | 14 | |
Black women | 97 | 2 | 1 | 16 | |
Latino men | N/A | N/A | N/A | 2 | |
Latina women | N/A | N/A | N/A | 3 | |
Others | 54 | 44 | 2 | 5 | |
Education | |||||
High school or less | 38 | 61 | 1 | 30 | |
Some college education | 50 | 48 | 2 | 25 | |
Associate degree | 51 | 48 | 1 | 12 | |
Bachelor's degree | 54 | 45 | 1 | 21 | |
Advanced degree | 60 | 39 | 1 | 12 | |
Education and race | |||||
White college graduates | 40 | 59 | 1 | 22 | |
White no college degree | 17 | 82 | 1 | 39 | |
Non-white college graduates | 85 | 14 | 1 | 12 | |
Non-white no college degree | 84 | 15 | 1 | 28 | |
Whites by education and gender | |||||
White women with college degrees | 43 | 57 | N/A | 11 | |
White women without college degrees | 16 | 83 | 1 | 21 | |
White men with college degrees | 38 | 61 | 1 | 11 | |
White men without college degrees | 17 | 81 | 2 | 17 | |
Non-whites | 84 | 15 | 1 | 40 | |
Income | |||||
Under $30,000 | 65 | 34 | 1 | 20 | |
$30,000–49,999 | 38 | 60 | 2 | 20 | |
$50,000–99,999 | 43 | 57 | N/A | 35 | |
$100,000–199,999 | 41 | 58 | 1 | 18 | |
Over $200,000 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 7 | |
Party ID | |||||
Democrats | 97 | 2 | 1 | 33 | |
Republicans | 3 | 97 | N/A | 38 | |
Independents | 54 | 44 | 2 | 28 | |
Party by gender | |||||
Democratic men | 96 | 3 | 1 | 12 | |
Democratic women | 98 | 2 | n/a | 21 | |
Republican men | 3 | 97 | N/A | 17 | |
Republican women | 3 | 97 | N/A | 21 | |
Independent men | 55 | 42 | 3 | 17 | |
Independent women | 53 | 45 | 2 | 12 | |
Ideology | |||||
Liberals | 88 | 11 | 1 | 20 | |
Moderates | 63 | 36 | 1 | 38 | |
Conservatives | 16 | 83 | 1 | 42 | |
Marital status | |||||
Married | 33 | 66 | 1 | 55 | |
Unmarried | 63 | 36 | 1 | 45 | |
Gender by marital status | |||||
Married men | 29 | 68 | 3 | 25 | |
Married women | 34 | 65 | 1 | 30 | |
Unmarried men | 58 | 41 | 1 | 21 | |
Unmarried women | 69 | 31 | N/A | 24 | |
First-time midterm election voter | |||||
Yes | 53 | 46 | 1 | 18 | |
No | 48 | 50 | 2 | 82 | |
Most important issue facing the country | |||||
Health care | 79 | 20 | 1 | 34 | |
Immigration | 9 | 90 | 1 | 32 | |
Economy | 43 | 57 | N/A | 23 | |
Gun policy | N/A | N/A | N/A | 9 | |
Area type | |||||
Urban | 70 | 29 | 1 | 22 | |
Suburban | 43 | 56 | 1 | 63 | |
Rural | 42 | 58 | N/A | 15 | |
Source: CNN[66] |
Kemp retained his office as Georgia Secretary of State throughout the campaign, leading to allegations of a conflict of interest for overseeing an election in which he himself was a candidate. During the campaign, he was called upon by former president and former governor of Georgia Jimmy Carter[67] and the Georgia chapters of the NAACP and Common Cause to resign from the secretariat position. Kemp refused to do so[68] until after he claimed victory, two days following the election. Kemp also accused the state Democratic Party of hacking into the state's voter database a few days before the election; however, an email released shortly after the accusation was made showed the party warning election security experts, highlighting "massive" vulnerabilities within the state's My Voter Page and its online voter registration system, not an attempt to hack the database, as Kemp had claimed.[69]
Irregularities in voter registration occurred prior to the election. Between 2012 and 2018, Kemp's office canceled over 1.4 million voter registrations, with nearly 700,000 cancellations in 2017 alone.[70] Over 300,000 people were removed from the rolls on the grounds that they had moved to a new address when they actually had not.[71] On a single night in July 2017, half a million voters had their registrations canceled. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, election-law experts said that this "may represent the largest mass disenfranchisement in US history."[72] The registrations of 53,000 voters, disproportionately affecting black people, were delayed by Kemp's office for not exactly matching state driver records. After a lawsuit was filed, Kemp agreed to allow flagged voters to vote if they had identification.[73] These irregularities resulted in allegations that Kemp was using voter suppression to increase his chances of winning the contest. Georgia election officials responded to these allegations by stating that any voter flagged for irregularities could still vote, receiving a regular ballot (not a provisional ballot), by providing ID at a valid polling place, as is required of all voters by state law.[74] Concerning the question of why the pending registration status mattered if those voters could vote normally at the polls, critics claimed that learning of this status might discourage those voters from turning out to the polls at all.[75]
The Washington Post reported that "more than 200 polling places" across Georgia were closed in the 2018 election, "primarily in poor and minority neighborhoods. Voters reported long lines, malfunctioning voting machines and other problems that delayed or thwarted voting in those areas."[76] (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that "precinct closures and longer distances likely prevented an estimated 54,000 to 85,000 voters from casting ballots" on the 2018 Election Day.)[77] According to Richard L. Hasen, professor of law and political science at the University of California at Irvine, "there is no question that Georgia in general and Brian Kemp in particular took steps to make it harder for people to register and vote, and that those people tended to skew Democratic."[78]
On November 12, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Totenberg ruled that Georgia's secretary of state office must take steps to preserve provisional ballots and begin counting them.[79] [80] On November 13, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May ruled that Gwinnett County violated the Civil Rights Act in rejecting absentee ballots with missing or incorrect specified year of birth of the absentee voter.[81]
On November 16, 2018, Abrams announced that she was ending her campaign. Abrams acknowledged that Kemp would be certified as victor, while emphasizing that her statement was not a concession, saying "I acknowledge that Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified as the victor of the 2018 gubernatorial election. [...] But let’s be clear, this is not a speech of concession because concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper."[7] [82] [83] [84] Abrams announced the creation of Fair Fight Action, a voting rights nonprofit organization that sued the secretary of state and state election board in federal court for voter suppression.[85] In February 2021, a federal judge ruled that Fair Fight's claims about voting machines, voter list security, and polling place issues were resolved by changes in Georgia's election law, or invalidated due to lack of standing to sue.[86] [87] In April 2021, a judge allowed some claims in the legal challenge to proceed while rejecting others.[88] On September 30, 2022, a federal judge ruled against Fair Fight on the remaining claims, finding that Georgia's voting practices did not violate the Constitution or the Voting Rights Act.[89] [90] [91] [92] According to the judge, the case "resulted in wins and losses for all parties over the course of the litigation and culminated in what is believed to have been the longest voting rights bench trial in the history of the Northern District of Georgia."[93] [94] [95]
Since losing the election, Abrams has repeatedly claimed that the election was not fairly conducted[96] and has declined to call Kemp the legitimate governor of Georgia.[97] Her position is that Kemp, who oversaw the election in his role as Secretary of State, had a conflict of interest and suppressed turnout by purging nearly 670,000 voter registrations in 2017, and that about 53,000 voter registrations were pending a month before the election.[98] She has said, "I have no empirical evidence that I would have achieved a higher number of votes. However, I have sufficient and I think legally sufficient doubt about the process to say that it was not a fair election."
On November 9, 2018, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that its investigation of the 2018 statewide elections in Georgia had found "no evidence ... of systematic malfeasance – or of enough tainted votes to force a runoff election".[99] A follow-up analysis in December 2019 by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution found "an estimated 54,000 to 85,000 voters" were impacted by changes, such as precinct closures in the aftermath of Shelby County v. Holder. However, it found that Abrams would have need up to 67% of the votes at "ideal voting locations" for a runoff to occur.[77]
In his 2020 book, University of California law professor and election law expert Richard L. Hasen described Kemp as "perhaps the most incompetent state chief elections officer" in the 2018 elections and said it was "hard to tell" which of Kemp's "actions were due to incompetence and which were attempted suppression."[100]
According to Washington Post fact checker Glenn Kessler writing in September 2022, Abrams repeatedly falsely claimed that she "won" the election, that the election was "rigged", that it was "stolen", that it was not "free and fair", and that Kemp had "cheated". Kessler said that "Abrams played up claims the election was stolen until such tactics became untenable for anyone who claims to be an advocate for American democratic norms and values".[101]