A new AARP Georgia poll suggests voters age 50 and older are likely to play a decisive role in this year’s closely contested races for governor and the U.S. Senate, with affordability emerging as their top concern.
The survey, conducted by the bipartisan polling firms Fabrizio Ward and Impact Research, found that older voters remain the state’s most reliable voting bloc. In Georgia’s 2026 primary election, voters age 50 and older cast 68 percent of all ballots. The poll also found that 88 percent of voters in that age group rated themselves at the highest level of motivation to vote, compared with 62 percent of voters under age 50.
AARP Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer Nancy LeaMond said candidates who address issues such as rising prices, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and lowering health care costs will be best positioned to earn support from older voters.
The poll shows the race for governor remains highly competitive. Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms leads Republican Rick Jackson 48 percent to 46 percent statewide, a margin within the survey’s error range. However, voter age presents a sharp divide. Jackson leads Bottoms by 13 percentage points among voters age 50 and older, while Bottoms holds a 23-point advantage among voters younger than 50.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff leads Republican Congressman Mike Collins 52 percent to 43 percent statewide. Ossoff enjoys a 30-point advantage among voters under 50 and a narrow lead among voters ages 50 to 64, while Collins leads by 24 points among voters age 65 and older.
According to the survey, one in eight voters age 50 and older are considered swing voters, making them one of the state’s most influential voting groups.
AARP Georgia State Director Vanessa Payne said older Georgians are focused on issues that directly affect their daily lives, including Social Security, Medicare and the rising cost of living.
Affordability ranked as the top concern among voters age 50 and older, followed by immigration and border security, and threats to democracy.
The survey also found that 48 percent of voters age 50 and older say Social Security is or will be a major source of household income. Ninety-two percent said they are more likely to support a candidate who will protect Social Security benefits, while 87 percent favor expanding Medicare’s ability to negotiate prescription drug prices. Additionally, 75 percent expressed concern that expanding artificial intelligence data centers could increase residential electric bills, and 85 percent said policymakers should ensure those costs are not passed on to residential utility customers.
The statewide poll surveyed 1,060 likely Georgia voters between July 13 and July 16. Interviews were conducted by telephone and SMS-to-web, and the survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.