2026 Midterms: Metro Atlanta’s local races to watch

While all eyes are focused on the US Senate and governor’s races at the top of the ballot, it can be easy to forget that metro Atlanta voters also have important state and local-level elections to pay attention to.

Democrats are hoping that declining approval of President Donald Trump will allow them to not just flip the governor’s office and other statewide offices from lieutenant governor to school superintendent, but also wrest control of the legislature. 

Republicans have a 33-23 majority in the State Senate, and there simply aren’t enough swing districts for Democrats to realistically flip the chamber, barring a blue wave of biblical proportions. 

But in the legislature’s lower chamber, the Georgia House of Representatives, the Republican majority is 99 to 81. That means Democrats need to flip 10 seats statewide to win a majority, and most of the seats in play are in the suburbs of Atlanta. 

Meanwhile, Fulton and Gwinnett counties have competitive county commission seats up for election.

Read on for a rundown of metro Atlanta elections Atlanta Community Press Collective is keeping an eye on for the Nov. 3 election. 

As a reminder, advance voting begins on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and runs through Oct. 30. To check your voter registration and find polling locations or view your sample ballot, visit the Secretary of State’s My Voter Page. 

Competitive metro Atlanta legislative seats 

Georgia Senate 

Senate District 37 (Acworth)

Republican incumbent Sen. Ed Setzler is favored to hold his seat in the face of a strong challenge from first-time candidate Darcy Castro, but this is likely the second closest state senate race this cycle. 

Senate District 48 (Suwanee)

This Senate district is the one to watch in November for a possible Democratic pickup against Republican incumbent Sen. Shawn Still, who was a co-defendant in the Fulton County racketeering case against President Donald Trump. In 2024, the then-embattled incumbent fended off a stiff challenge from Ashwin Ramaswami in what was one of the most expensive state Senate races that cycle. Still will face Democrat Laura Murvatian, a former corporate executive who now runs an arts nonprofit. 

Georgia House 

House District 44 (Marietta)

Republican state Rep. Don Parsons, who has served in the house for over 30 years, faces a challenge from Democrat Danielle Bell, a licensed clinical social worker with a practice in Kennesaw. 

House District 48 (Peachtree Corners)

Incumbent Rep. Scott Hilton, a Republican, faces Democrat Adam Cleveland, a business attorney. 

House District 53 (Sandy Springs)

Republican incumbent, Rep. Deborah Silcox, will face Democrat Beth Fuller in the general election for this swing district that extends from Buckhead north to Roswell. Fuller, a former CDC contractor, will try to oust Silcox, who kept her seat in 2024 by a margin of under 1,400 votes against Susie Greenberg. 

House District 99 (Duluth)

Democrats are hoping to flip this seat held by Republican Rep. Matt Reeves (R-Duluth) in November. Michelle Kang won the Democratic primary for the chance of a rematch with Reeves, whom she lost to in 2024 by just 621 votes.

House District 105 (Buford)

Held by the GOP following a razor-thin 80-vote margin in 2024, Republican Rep. Sandy Donatucci will face Farooq Mughal for the third election in a row. Mughal won the seat in 2022 against Donatucci, who then beat him in 2024. 

Fulton County Commission 

Fulton County Commission’s Districts 1, 3 and 5, as well as the commission chair, are on the ballot. But those races were essentially decided in the Democratic primary. There is one race, however, that is an open competition.

District 4 (Special Election)

Mo Ivory’s successful run for the Democratic nomination for commission chair left this seat vacant, prompting a special election to be set for Nov. 3. 

Four candidates have jumped into the race, all Democrats: 

Natalie Hall, who held the seat before being ousted by Ivory in 2024. In January 2024, Hall was found liable for sexual harassment against her former chief of staff, costing the county nearly a million dollars. 

Karen René, who previously served on East Point’s city council from 2014-2024.

Rohit Malhotra, the founder and director of the Center for Civic Innovation, who also ran for Atlanta City Council President in 2025, losing to Marci Collier Overstreet. Malhotra is positioning himself as the progressive candidate in the race.

Aaron Sampson, a former political consultant who until May was the CEO of the Atlanta ToolBank, a nonprofit that provides construction tools and other resources to other nonprofits undertaking projects.

District 4 covers core Atlanta neighborhoods, including Midtown, Downtown and Grant Park, and extends south to Hapeville, and parts of East Point and College Park. 

Gwinnett County Commission 

In Gwinnett, two county commission seats are up for a vote, Districts 2 and 4. In District 2, incumbent Democrat Ben Ku is strongly favored to hold his seat against Republican Rodolfo Ochoa. In District 4, however, a young Democrat is looking for an upset win against the incumbent GOP commissioner.  

District 4

Republican Matthew Holtkamp, elected in 2022, is seeking reelection. Challenging him is 21-year-old Benjamin Culberson, a political activist and a student at Georgia Gwinnett College pursuing degrees in Psychology and Political Science.