Georgia Senate special election to replace gubernatorial hopeful headed to runoff

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - There will be a runoff election to choose Georgia’s state senator for District 35 after none of the six candidates hoping to replace the former senator, who resigned for a gubernatorial run, emerged victorious Tuesday.

Democrat Jason Esteves was elected to the seat in November 2022, and he was elected to a second term in 2024. But earlier this year, Esteves became the first Democrat to announce a bid for governor in Georgia’s nationally watched 2026 midterms.

The runoff will be between Jaha Howard and Roger Bruce, both Democrats.

Howard garnered 5,134 votes and Bruce got 3,992, according to results posted to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office around 9:45 p.m.

In Georgia, a candidate needs to get over 50% of the vote to avoid a runoff.

Howard got nearly 33% of the vote and Bruce followed with just over 25%.

District 35 stretches from Dobbins Air Reserve Base southward through Vinings and into west Fulton County, including Fulton County Airport Brown Field.

Esteves is part of a (so far) field of seven Democrats who want to become the state’s first Democrat elected governor this century.

Esteves has picked up an impressive number of endorsements from metro Atlanta state lawmakers and local officials — most recently Jimmy Carter’s grandson, Jason Carter, himself a former state senator and gubernatorial candidate, endorsed the former Atlanta school board member.

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