Originally posted by MCO Group on May 29, 2026

1. Burt Jones vs. Rick Jackson in Governor Race

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and healthcare billionaire Rick Jackson are headed to a June 16 Republican runoff after neither cleared 50%. This week, both campaigns pivoted hard: Jones consolidated rural/MAGA support and the Trump-world apparatus, while Jackson leaned on his foster-youth biography and self-funding advantage to keep pressure in the Atlanta, Augusta, and Columbus media markets. Clients should watch endorsement cascades from losing primary candidates and whether Gov. Kemp signals a lane.

2. Collins–Dooley Senate Runoff and the Ossoff Matchup

The U.S. Senate primary also went to overtime, with Derek Dooley and Rep. Mike Collins advancing to the GOP runoff to take on Sen. Jon Ossoff. This week, the national money started moving. This is the most expensive race in the country and will define paid media inventory in Atlanta through November.

3. Statewide Election Audit Kicks Off

The Secretary of State's office formally launched the risk-limiting audit of the May 19 primary results this week. Given that two of the highest-profile races on the ballot are headed to runoffs decided by relatively narrow margins, the audit is drawing more scrutiny than usual and is feeding directly into the second item Kemp put on the special-session call (see #4).

4. Special Session Prep: Redistricting + Ballot QR Codes

Kemp's May 13 proclamation calling lawmakers back on June 17 continued to drive the policy conversation all week. The call covers two items: redrawing congressional maps for the 2028 cycle following the Louisiana Supreme Court redistricting ruling, and addressing QR codes on ballots, a long-running fight between election-integrity advocates and the SOS's office. This week, House and Senate leadership quietly circulated draft map concepts and conducted whip counts on the QR code language. Expect map leaks in the first week of June.

Action item for clients with federal footprints: model exposure under at least two plausible CD scenarios.

5. Bottoms Positioning and the Down-Ballot Democratic Slate

Keisha Lance Bottoms spent this week pivoting to general-election posture, including unity events, fundraising calls with the DGA, and early framing against both potential GOP nominees. Worth tracking alongside her rollout: the Democratic slates for Lt. Gov., AG, and SOS — open-seat races up and down the ticket are giving the party its deepest statewide bench in a generation, and coordination decisions being made this week will shape independent-expenditure activity into the summer.

Bottom Line for Principals

Every one of this week's top stories points to the same operational reality — Georgia is in a 17-day sprint to two consequential runoffs and a special session immediately on its heels. Client engagement plans for June need to assume the Capitol is functionally in session from June 16 forward, and any policy ask that touches elections, maps, or healthcare should be sequenced with the runoff calendar in mind.