2026 Georgia State Superintendent of Schools election
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November 3, 2026
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| Elections in Georgia |
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The 2026 Georgia State Superintendent of Schools election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the Georgia Superintendent of Schools. Primary elections were held on May 19, and primary runoff elections were held on June 16. Three-term incumbent Republican superintendent Richard Woods is running for re-election.[1]
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Richard Woods, incumbent superintendent[2]
Eliminated in runoff
[edit]- Bubba Longgrear, superintendent of Candler County[3]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Nelva Lee, business owner[4]
- Mesha Mainor, former state representative from the 56th district (2021–2025)[a][5]
- Randell Trammell, business executive[6]
Results
[edit]
Woods
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Longgrear
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Woods (incumbent) | 428,895 | 49.9 | |
| Republican | Bubba Longgrear | 250,208 | 29.1 | |
| Republican | Randell Trammell | 121,064 | 14.1 | |
| Republican | Mesha Mainor | 35,040 | 4.1 | |
| Republican | Nelva Lee | 24,643 | 2.9 | |
| Total votes | 859,850 | 100.0 | ||
Runoff
[edit]Results
[edit]
Woods
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Longgrear
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Woods (incumbent) | 344,958 | 51.5 | |
| Republican | Bubba Longgrear | 325,029 | 48.5 | |
| Total votes | 669,997 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Lydia Catalina Powell, educator[4]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Anton Anthony, Hancock County school superintendent[4]
- Otha Thornton, nominee for superintendent in 2018[9]
Endorsements
[edit]Anton Anthony
- Organizations
Results
[edit]
Powelll
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Anthony
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 70–80%
Thornton
- 70–80%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Lydia Catalina Powell | 511,811 | 50.5 | |
| Democratic | Anton Anthony | 302,219 | 29.8 | |
| Democratic | Otha Thornton | 199,815 | 19.7 | |
| Total votes | 1,013,845 | 100.0 | ||
General election
[edit]Candidates
[edit]- Lydia Catalina Powell, educator[4]
- Richard Woods, incumbent superintendent[2]
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Richard Woods (incumbent) | |||
| Democratic | Lydia Catalina Powell | |||
| Total votes | 100.00 | |||
Notes
[edit]- ↑ Initially elected as a Democrat, defecting in 2023
References
[edit]- ↑ Gibbs, Jabari (September 8, 2025). "Georgia's top education official campaigns for reelection on conservative agenda". The Current. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
- 1 2 Tagami, Ty (June 6, 2025). "Woods announces plans to run for fourth term as Georgia school superintendent". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
- ↑ Swanson, Summer; Wright, Olivia (July 24, 2025). "Candler County Superintendent enters race for Georgia State Superintendent of Schools". WTOC. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 Darnell, Tim (March 3, 2026). "LIST: Candidates who have qualified in Georgia's May primary". Atlanta News First. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
- ↑ Williams, Ross (September 10, 2025). "Party-switching former Democratic lawmaker to run for Georgia superintendent as a Republican". WABE. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
- ↑ Nesmith, Marie (June 6, 2025). "Cartersville resident to run for state school superintendent". The Daily Tribune News. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
- 1 2 "May 19, 2026 - General Primary". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ "June 16th, 2026 General Primary Runoff". Georgia Secretary of State. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ Wells, Mark (October 2, 2025). "Otha Thornton to run for Georgia state superintendent". The Elberton Star. Retrieved October 2, 2025.
- ↑ "Special State House, Senate, and Superintendent Edition". Georgia Association of Educators. 2026. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
External links
[edit]- Official campaign websites