Poll shows Ossoff leading Georgia opponents in Senate race

ATLANTA (CN) — A new poll released Thursday by Emerson College shows likely voters backing Senator Jon Ossoff over his potential Republican challengers in Georgia’s U.S. Senate race and reveals sharp divisions over the legitimacy of the FBI’s investigation into the Peach State’s 2020 election results.

Ossoff will face off in November against the winner of the May 19 Republican primary as he tries to defend a Senate seat that has become a prime GOP target. He is the only Democratic U.S. senator up for reelection in a state President Donald Trump won in 2024.

Just days after the Democratic incumbent qualified for reelection, the new poll of 1,000 potential voters shows him leading Republican congressman Buddy Carter 47% to 44%. Nine percent of voters polled by the nonpartisan Emerson College Polling Center said they were undecided between the two candidates.

Ossoff has a 5-point lead over Georgia Representative Mike Collins and an 8-point lead over former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, who trails behind the field at 41%.

“Senator Jon Ossoff enters the 2026 election cycle just under 50% support, anchored by a strong base among independent voters, leading potential Republican opponents by an average of 16 points, along with voters under 50, leading by an average of 12 points, and women, leading by an average of 8 points,” said Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, in a statement.

The poll also found participants were sharply divided over the legitimacy of the FBI’s investigation into Fulton County’s 2020 election results. The FBI raided Fulton County’s elections operations center in January and collected 700 boxes of physical ballots from the 2020 presidential election.

Thirty-nine percent of those polled said they thought the investigation was legitimate, while 44% said they believe it is a “political witch hunt.” Of the people polled, 380 reported being Republican, 344 Democrat and 276 independent.

Fulton County, in the heart of Atlanta, has become the target of President Trump’s unsupported claim that his loss to Democrat Joe Biden was the result of election fraud.

Potential voters were split over whether Trump’s endorsement would impact their decision at the polls in May. While 47% of Republican primary voters said they would be more likely to vote for a candidate endorsed by the president, 42% said it would not impact their vote.

Of those who would be more likely to vote for a Trump-endorsed Senate candidate, 35% support Collins. Carter got backing from 18%, and Dooley received 14%.

If the Republican Senate primary were held today, the poll indicates Collins would have an edge over Carter. Nearly 30% of those polled support Collins. Just 16% said they would cast a ballot for Carter, and 10% said they would vote for Dooley.

However, 40% of the voters polled said they are still undecided between the three Republican Senate candidates.

Twelve percent of voters said Trump’s endorsement would make them less likely to vote for a candidate. A significant number of that group, 46%, say they support Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger in the upcoming gubernatorial race. Raffensperger infamously rejected Trump’s demand for help overturning the Peach State’s 2020 election results.

Nearly 40% of voters also said they were still on the fence with respect to their choices in the Republican and Democratic primaries for governor.

Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson are leading the Republican field of gubernatorial candidates, with 21% and 20%, respectively. Raffensperger polled at 11%, and Attorney General Chris Carr rounds out the field with 6%.

Kimball said Jackson “appears to have reshaped the race,” drawing support from 35% of voters over 60 and 25% of voters who are independently affiliated.

Almost 35% of voters said they would vote for former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms if the Democratic primary election for governor were held today. Former Republican Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan, the second-highest polling Democratic candidate, received support from just 13% of those asked.

Follow @KaylaGoggin_CNS