In Georgia, three prominent Republicans are vying for their party’s nomination for a United States Senate seat, creating a closely watched race to challenge Senator Jon Ossoff for his seat in November.
Polls close at 7 p.m. Eastern, and counties generally report votes quickly, starting with early in-person and mail ballots.
The statewide race, in which President Trump has declined to make an endorsement, is likely to result in a runoff on June 16, as a candidate needs more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright. But there are a few key regions to watch as things play out.
Atlanta Metro Area
The city of Atlanta sits in DeKalb and Fulton counties, and the city’s metropolitan region also includes Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties. By sheer volume, Atlanta is a key battleground in the state — in the crowded 2022 primary for secretary of state, this region made up around 35 percent of the total vote.
While none of the major candidates have a clear home-base advantage in the region, polling cross-tabs (which should be interpreted with some caution, as they are not meant to be representative on their own) point to Derek Dooley and Representative Mike Collins performing better in these areas.
South Georgia and Savannah
Representative Buddy Carter’s home base is Savannah, as he represents the First District, which includes that city as well as the more rural areas that surround it. He is expected to perform well there and throughout South Georgia, which encompasses the southern border of the state as well as a large swath of its southeast corner.
Athens and Neighboring Areas
One of the more fascinating regions is Athens, which is home to the University of Georgia. Mr. Collins, one of the leading candidates in the race, represents Athens and the 10th Congressional District, but he faces a significant challenge there from Mr. Dooley, a longtime football coach and political newcomer. Mr. Dooley has outsized name recognition in Athens thanks to his father, Vince, who coached the Georgia Bulldogs from 1964 to 1988, winning a national championship for the school in 1980.
Christine Zhang and Alex Lemonides contributed reporting.
Caroline Soler is a Times researcher focused on collecting and analyzing polling and election data.
The post Key Areas to Watch in Georgia’s Republican Senate Primary appeared first on New York Times.




