Georgia Governor 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them
Keisha Lance Bottoms (Democrat) and Rick Jackson (Republican) are the candidates for governor of Georgia in the November 3, 2026 general election. Semblen has analyzed 72 ads in this race; 43 used at least one manipulation technique, most often loaded language and glittering generalities. Next date for voters: Early voting starts: Tue, Oct 13.
Keisha Lance Bottoms (DEM), Rick Jackson (REP).
On the ballot as listed by Ballotpedia. 72 ads analyzed, 43 with at least one technique in the copy.
Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. Updated 2026-10-08. 5 ads from other advertisers shown separately below.
Anyone can vote by mail; request a ballot by Fri, Oct 23 (application must be received 11 days before the election); return it by Tue, Nov 3 (received by the county registrar by close of polls (7 p.m.) Election Day)Source: sos.ga.gov ↗Source: sos.ga.gov ↗Source: sos.ga.gov ↗
Government-issued photo ID required (driver's license even if expired, free state ID, passport, military ID, public college student ID, government employee ID)Source: sos.ga.gov ↗
42 of 70 (60%) flagged · Loaded Language (23), Glittering Generalities (22), Appeal to Fear (11)
YouTube
1 of 2 flagged · Appeal to Prejudice (1), Glittering Generalities (1), Repetition (1)
Reported Meta spend
$685,000–871,206 on all ads, $544,200–689,572 on flagged ads · Meta reports ranges; these are the sums of their ends
Example
“Georgia will be the envy of the nation” — Glittering Generalities, paid for by Jackson for Governor, Inc.
· the flagged ad with the highest reported spend that shows the most common technique
Embed this race on your site
A small box with these findings and the newest ads, updated as new ads are analyzed. Free for newsrooms, blogs and campaigns alike; it links back here.
Follow Keisha Lance Bottoms vs. Rick Jackson
An email when new ads come in from either side or the outside groups: the techniques, the words doing the work, and who paid. And each debate's analysis the morning after. One-click unsubscribe.
Each side is the campaign plus the groups backing it. How a group is placed is explained below the table.
Side
Ads
With at least one technique
Most common
Bottoms (D)
5
3 of 5
Loaded Language (3), Appeal to Fear (2), Appeal to Prejudice (2)
All from the campaign; no ads here from groups placed on this side.
Jackson (R)
27
18 of 27 (67%)
Glittering Generalities (11), Loaded Language (6), Appeal to Prejudice (5)
All from the campaign; no ads here from groups placed on this side.
Not placed on a side (11 sponsors)
40
22 of 40 (55%)
Loaded Language (14), Glittering Generalities (11), Appeal to Fear (8)
Read this before comparing the sides. Ads that attack an opponent use these techniques far more often than ads that introduce a candidate, whoever runs them, so the side running more attack ads shows a higher share. A technique is about wording, not about whether an ad is true. These are online ads only (Meta and YouTube), not television.
Appeal to Prejudice (1), Glittering Generalities (1), Repetition (1)
How a group is placed: by its own filings with the Federal Election Commission. A group is with a candidate when it reported spending to support that candidate, or to oppose the other one in the general election. The parties' own committees are with their nominee. Spending against a candidate in a primary places a group nowhere, and neither does our reading of its ads: a group with no such filing is listed as not placed. The sponsor table gives the reason for each.
Decide what counts
Not everyone would call every technique manipulation. Untick the ones you'd call ordinary persuasion and the count updates.
60% of the 72 ads here use at least one of the techniques ticked below (43 ads).
Leaving out the softer ones (loaded language, glittering generalities, slogans, exaggeration, repetition): 40% of ads.
The words doing the work
The words that show up most in phrases our model flagged as loaded language or name calling in this race's ads, by number of ads.
policyin 3 ads· e.g. “her disastrous policies”, “radical policies”
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Money in this race
Candidates for governor report their fundraising to Georgia's state campaign-finance office, not the FEC. This page doesn't cover those reports yet, so it shows no money figures.
The ads
72 ads, newest first. Video transcripts are shown as the model read them, without caption cues like [music].
Showing the 5 ads paid for by Keisha For Governor. Show all 72 ads
President Barack Obama Encourages Georgians to Vote for Keisha Lance Bottoms for Governor
Paid for by Keisha For Governorvideo · 0:55from 2026-10-08
This is Barack Obama, Georgia. I hope you'll support my friend Kesha Lance Bottoms for governor. As a former judge, council member, and mayor, Kesha believes that public service is about putting you first.
She's invested in young people, delivered historic payraises for police officers and firefighters, and balanced the budget without raising taxes. Now, Kesha has a plan to lower costs, expand Medicaid, strengthen rural hospitals, and give communities the option to eliminate grocery taxes. And as a mom of four, Kesha understands the importance of giving every child a strong start.
And that's why she'll work to guarantee prek for every four-year-old. There is a lot at stake in this election, Georgia. Make your voice heard and vote for Kesha Lance Bottoms for governor.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Watch on YouTube ↗Transcript above is auto-generated; the analysis is of the spoken words.
Paid for by KEISHA FOR GOVERNORfrom 2026-08-123 variantsspend $2,800–3,49750,000–60,997 impressions
Huge News: Nate Silver just released his 2026 midterm election forecast.
It shows Keisha Lance Bottoms with a 73.4% chance to win the Georgia Governor’s race — something that no Democrat has done since 1998.
Nate Silver is one of the most well-respected statisticians and election forecasters in the country.
But our Republican opponent just dropped $87 million on a TV ad buy to attack our campaign. So Keisha needs your help.
Will you pitch in today to build on this momentum and help us win this race? $20, $10, even $1 makes a huge difference.
no techniques found
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by KEISHA FOR GOVERNORfrom 2026-06-226 variantsspend $2,700–3,69466,100–83,994 impressions
Trump's number one priority when he took office was to have me fired.
Too bad for him. I'd already resigned.
My name is Keisha Lance Bottoms. I'm the former mayor of Atlanta and spent four years advising President Biden on housing policy and related matters at the White House.
I led Atlanta through the largest cyberattack in our city’s history and delivered historic pay raises for firefighters and police officers.
But of course, NOTHING threatens our President Donald J. Trump more than a successful woman who stands up to him.
I'm running for governor of Georgia to protect democracy and fight back against this lawless president. Donate now to help us make history, and let’s show Trump he was right to be scared.
Because when I take office, he won't have any chance to mess with our ballots again.
Thank you ♥️🍑
Loaded Language: The capitalized 'NOTHING' and the word 'threatens' are emotionally charged, framing the President as insecure and intimidated — for example: NOTHING threatens and successful woman who stands up to him.
Appeal to Prejudice: The phrase 'our President' uses possessive in-group language to create a sense of shared identity while simultaneously undermining him — for example: our President
Glittering Generalities: The word 'democracy' is used as a vague, emotionally positive rallying concept without specifying what concrete threat exists or what actions would be taken — for example: 'protect democracy'
Name Calling: The sitting president is labeled 'lawless' as a derogatory characterization intended to discredit rather than present a substantive argument — for example: 'this lawless president'
Appeal to Fear: The phrase 'right to be scared' implies Trump fears the candidate, framing the political contest as a high-stakes threat scenario designed to generate excitement and anxiety — for example: 'he was right to be scared'
Conspiracy Appeal: The phrase implies a shadowy actor has previously interfered with ballots in a hidden or sinister way, suggesting a covert plot against democratic processes — for example: 'he won't have any chance to mess with our ballots again'
Loaded Language
Appeal to Prejudice
Glittering Generalities
Name Calling
Appeal to Fear
Conspiracy Appeal
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
An email when new ads come in from either side or the outside groups: the techniques, the words doing the work, and who paid. And each debate's analysis the morning after. One-click unsubscribe.
Paid for by KEISHA FOR GOVERNORfrom 2026-06-2269 variantsspend $207,600–253,3313,711,600–4,366,931 impressions
If we win this race, I will become the first Democratic Governor of Georgia this century.
That’s not symbolism — that’s power.
Power to stop Trump’s agenda at the state level.
Power to protect voting rights.
Power to flip Georgia for good and help flip the country blue.
Trump and his Republican allies know what’s at stake. That’s why they’re flooding this race with money and misinformation.
We are this close to breaking their grip on Georgia — but only if Democrats show up right now. This moment won’t come again.
If you are in a position to support our campaign, we have a pivotal fundraising deadline tonight at midnight. We only need to raise an additional $2,575 to reach our goal, so your donation could be the one that helps us cross the finish line. Please donate now to help us break the GOP grip on power here in Georgia.
False Urgency: The phrase 'show up right now' creates artificial time pressure to force immediate action without deliberation — for example: show up right now and This moment won't come again.
Black-and-White Fallacy: The sentence implies only two outcomes: Democrats act now or the grip is never broken, ignoring other possibilities — for example: but only if Democrats show up right now
Loaded Language: The phrase 'breaking their grip' uses emotionally charged language implying a sinister, controlling force — for example: breaking their grip
Appeal to Prejudice: The appeal is directed exclusively at Democrats as an in-group identity, pressuring partisan loyalty — for example: only if Democrats show up
False Urgency
Black-and-White Fallacy
Loaded Language
Appeal to Prejudice
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by KEISHA FOR GOVERNORfrom 2026-05-30spend $30,000–34,999600,000–699,999 impressions
If we win this race, I will become the first Democratic Governor of Georgia this century.
That’s not symbolism — that’s power.
Power to stop Trump’s agenda at the state level.
Power to protect voting rights.
Power to flip Georgia for good and help flip the country blue.
Trump and his Republican allies know what’s at stake. That’s why they’re flooding this race with money and misinformation. And that’s why he’s endorsed Burt Jones, a 2020 election-denier who loaned his own campaign $10 million.
We are this close to breaking their grip on Georgia — but only if Democrats show up right now. This moment won’t come again.
If you are in a position to support our campaign, we have a pivotal fundraising deadline tonight at midnight. We only need to raise an additional $2,575 to reach our goal, so your donation could be the one that helps us cross the finish line. Please donate now to help us break the GOP grip on power here in Georgia.
Appeal to Fear: The phrase implies high stakes and an implicit threat, creating anxiety about what opponents might do — for example: "know what's at stake".
Loaded Language: The word 'flooding' combined with 'misinformation' uses emotionally charged language to frame the opposition's actions as overwhelming and dishonest — for example: flooding this race with money and misinformation
Name Calling: The label '2020 election-denier' is used as a derogatory tag to discredit Burt Jones rather than engage with his policy positions — for example: a 2020 election-denier
False Urgency: The phrase 'show up right now' creates artificial time pressure to force immediate action without deliberation — for example: show up right now and This moment won't come again.
Black-and-White Fallacy: The sentence implies only two outcomes: Democrats show up and break the grip, or they don't and fail, ignoring any middle ground — for example: but only if Democrats show up
Appeal to Fear
Loaded Language
Name Calling
False Urgency
Black-and-White Fallacy
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid posts that ran in GA and name a candidate, from advertisers that aren't part of this race: news-style pages, campaigns for other offices, and others. They're shown here for completeness and not counted with the ads above. We show the same technique analysis; their claims are not checked.
HCSO Foundation: not a political advertiser
Paid for by HCSO Foundationfrom 2026-09-21 to 2026-09-24spend $0–992,000–2,999 impressions
GRITS & GRACE: OUR FIRST INVITED GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT! 🎙️
The conversation is getting started.
Sheriff Reginald B. Scandrett and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office are pleased to announce The Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Mayor of Atlanta and author of The Rough Side of the Mountain: A Memoir, as an invited guest for Grits & Grace: Let’s Talk.
From public service to the deeply personal journey she shares in her memoir, this fireside conversation will go beyond titles and headlines to talk about leadership, life, resilience, community and the experiences that shape us.
📅 Monday, October 12 | 10 AM
Grits & Grace is part of National Faith & Blue Weekend and is designed to bring people together for real conversation around Community. Climate. Concerns.
And this is only the beginning. More invited guest announcements are coming.
🎟️ Registration is required. Secure your seat today at HCSOFoundation.org.
#GritsAndGrace #LetsTalk #FaithAndBlue #HenryCounty #HCSO #CommunityConversation
Paid for by The Georgia Democratfrom 2026-09-07 to 2026-09-152 variantsspend $0–1984,100–5,998 impressions
🚨 Georgia Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson pledged at a July rally in Marietta that, if elected governor, he would push the Georgia General Assembly to match the federal Trump Account contribution with an additional $1,000 per child. The remarks were made at a Wheeler High School event in Cobb County where President Donald Trump also appeared. Footage of the pledge was posted to X by USA First Lab.
Jackson's exact words, confirmed by the Daily Signal: "I want to announce, when I become governor, I'm going to push the state of Georgia to match the federal contribution with another $1,000. I believe our Legislature will approve that." Jackson added that if the legislature does not approve the match, he would personally donate the $1,000 himself, a claim that carries weight given he has poured more than $100 million of his own money into his campaign.
The federal Trump Accounts program, created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, seeds a $1,000 investment account for every U.S. citizen child born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028. Funds grow tax-deferred in low-cost U.S. stock index funds until the child turns 18. No state matching proposal has been formally introduced in the Georgia General Assembly, and legislative leaders have not publicly committed to backing one.
Jackson, founder of Jackson Healthcare and the Republican nominee for the 2026 gubernatorial race, will face Democratic former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the general election. His state match proposal remains a campaign commitment contingent on winning the governorship and securing legislative approval. Would a state match make Trump Accounts more impactful for Georgia families? 👇
#Georgia #RickJackson #TrumpAccounts #GeorgiaGovernor #GeorgiaPolitics #Breaking
Paid for by The Georgia Democratfrom 2026-08-25 to 2026-09-022 variantsspend $0–1982,000–3,998 impressions
More than 100 Georgia Sheriffs are reportedly backing Republican Rick Jackson’s Gubernatorial bid.
Jackson is currently in a closely contested race against former Atlana Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Do you think this will have an impact on the race? 👇
An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it ran mostly in GA and names a nominee for governor — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office (a U.S. Senate or House campaign included), or it also names GA's Senate nominees, in which case it is on the Senate race's page. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
The candidates are the ones certified for the November ballot, from the source linked at the top. Governors are state offices, so there are no FEC filings behind this page: no money figures, and outside groups are placed on a side only when they are a campaign or a party committee.
Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
A technique is a specific manipulative move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. The check runs once and its result is shown to everyone afterwards. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.
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