Democrats will face off in Georgia gubernatorial debate. How to watch

As Georgia voters prepare to head to the polls in May for the 2026 midterm primaries, races are heating up for the two spots on the ballot reserved for the governor's race.

Eight people have put their names in the ring to be the Republican nominee, and the race is led by current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and surprise late entry healthcare executive Rick Jackson. Jones has the Trump endorsement, but Jackson has been picking up steam among conservative voters in recent weeks.

On the other side, there are seven names in the primary for the Democratic nomination, with a plurality of voters saying in a recent poll that they were still undecided on who to support. The race is led by former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, followed by former (Republican) Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond.

Last week 11Alive announced a Democratic gubernatorial debate where some of the candidates will be able to make their case to Georgia voters live. Here's what to know.

When is the Georgia Democratic gubernatorial debate?

The hour-long debate will be held on Wednesday, April 15 at the 11Alive studios in Atlanta.

The debate will run from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.

Who qualified for the Georgia Democratic gubernatorial debate?

11Alive and Nexstar Media Group said candidates would qualify for the debate if they have legally qualified to run, publicly announced their candidacy, are actively campaigning, meet an undisclosed campaign finance threshold and have shown "measurable voter support."

That means in this debate only Lance Bottoms, Duncan and Thurmond have qualified. Zach Merchant and Faith Jessie will moderate the debate.

How to watch "Debate Night in Georgia: The Race for Governor"

The debate will be televised on 11Alive in Atlanta, but also across the state. It will be found on WATL (NBC, Atlanta), WMAZ (CBS, Macon), WJBF (ABC, Augusta), WRBL (CBS, Columbus) and WSAV (NBC, Savannah).

It can also be viewed online at 11Alive+ and the 11Alive News app, as well as the websites and apps from the other stations across the state.

Can you send in questions for the debate?

11Alive said the candidates will address key issues for voters, but there was not a link provided for voters to submit their own questions.

Questions will be asked by the moderators.

Who is running in the gubernatorial primaries?

Brad Raffensperger, Burt Jones, Chris Carr, Clark Dean, Gregg Kirkpatrick, Ken Yasger, Rick Jackson and Tom Williams have qualified as candidates for the Republican Party.

Seven Democratic candidates are also in the race, including Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mike Thurmond and Olu Brown.

Current Republican Governor Brian Kemp served two terms and cannot run again. He has not endorsed a candidate for the midterm primary.

Irene Wright covers the governor's race in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].