Most of Georgia was stunned when a Republican won the Governor’s Mansion in 2002, ending well over a century of Democratic control in Atlanta. This year’s race might offer a nail-biter — but not necessarily a surprise. Read more

Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee, is hoping to become the first African-American woman to be elected governor anywhere in the United States. Brian Kemp, the Republican nominee and the secretary of state, wants to keep his party in power in the Capitol. The race has been among the country’s most expensive and vitriolic, and it is a test of whether sophisticated efforts to attract and mobilize new voters can help Democrats win in a fast-changing Georgia.

Metro-area Atlanta, particularly the suburbs, is a crucial battleground for both candidates. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won two heavily populated counties — Cobb and Gwinnett — that were long known as Republican strongholds. The most closely contested congressional races in Georgia this year are being fought out in those suburbs, too.