ATLANTA — Rising healthcare costs are shaping voter concerns across Georgia and injecting fresh urgency into the 2026 governor’s race, a new University of Georgia survey shows. The findings arrive as Democratic candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican Rick Jackson present sharply different policy responses to the same problem.
Survey shows worry crosses party lines
The UGA survey, conducted in June for the Georgia Health Initiative and sampling roughly 1,000 likely voters, found that more than 90% of respondents across parties reported having health insurance. Despite that coverage, worries about affordability were widespread.
Concerns about affording monthly premiums were highest among Democrats: 54% said they were very or somewhat worried about being able to pay premiums over the next year. Among Republicans, 38% expressed that level of concern.
“Republicans on average, compared to Democrats or independents, tended to be slightly less worried about various healthcare-related costs,” said M.V. Hood III, the political science professor who led the survey.
Hood also noted the similarity in concern across the electorate despite the partisan differences in intensity. “You’re still talking about a very sizable number of people here,” he said, underscoring the risk that healthcare could be a decisive issue for many voters.
Affordability, access, and skipped care
The survey found a substantial share of voters consider healthcare unaffordable. Nearly three-quarters of Democrats and more than two-thirds of independents described healthcare in Georgia as “not very affordable” or “not affordable at all.” Although fewer Republicans shared that view, almost half of GOP respondents reported similar concerns.
Cost-driven delays in care are also common: almost half of Democrats and about a quarter of Republicans said they had skipped or delayed care in the past year because of cost.
Candidates offer competing solutions
On the campaign trail, the two leading gubernatorial contenders have framed the problem differently. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic candidate, has centered her campaign on expanding access and criticized Republicans for resisting Medicaid expansion as a remedy.
Her Republican rival, Rick Jackson, agrees that costs are rising but advocates expanding access to commercial insurance rather than pursuing Medicaid expansion. The difference highlights a core policy divide: whether to broaden public insurance options or to increase private coverage access.
What the numbers suggest for the race
Health care emerges as an issue that could cut across traditional partisan lines in Georgia. High levels of worry among Democrats and notable concerns among independents — plus significant numbers of Republicans who report affordability problems — mean both campaigns may need to address cost directly to win over persuadable voters.
Political analysts say when an issue affects personal finances and access to care, it can motivate turnout and sway undecided voters. The UGA findings indicate that while coverage rates are high, coverage alone may not insulate incumbents or challengers from voter frustration if out-of-pocket costs and premiums continue to climb.
Survey snapshot
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Likely voters surveyed | ~1,000 |
| Respondents with health insurance | >90% |
| Democrats worried about premiums | 54% |
| Republicans worried about premiums | 38% |
| Democrats reporting care skipped/delayed | Nearly 50% |
| Republicans reporting care skipped/delayed | ~25% |
Implications for Georgia voters
For Georgia residents, the survey reinforces that having insurance does not equal affordable access. Voters facing rising premiums or high out-of-pocket costs may press candidates for concrete plans to reduce their financial burden.
As the campaign season advances, voters should expect both parties to highlight proposals intended to address affordability, whether through state-level policy changes, incentives to expand private coverage, or renewed debates over Medicaid expansion.
- Healthcare affordability now ranks as a top concern across Democrats, Republicans and independents in Georgia.
- Policy differences between the leading candidates center on Medicaid expansion versus expanding commercial insurance access.
- High reported rates of delayed or skipped care point to tangible impacts of rising costs on residents’ health decisions.
State voters will continue to weigh personal financial impacts alongside broader ideological arguments as campaigns respond to these findings in coming weeks.
