Georgia primary season is a month away, and the race for the top of the ticket is fierce.

Voters will be deciding the Democratic and Republican candidate for governor on May 19, and they will have to choose from a crowded field.

Keisha Lance Bottoms, former mayor of Atlanta, leads the polls for Democrats among seven potential candidates.

On the other side of the ballot, however, it’s unclear if current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones or healthcare executive Rick Jackson will come out on top for the Republicans.

Jones and Jackson have spent much of the time since Jackson’s late entry into the race going after one another in ads and on social media. Jones has the Trump endorsement, but both candidates have aligned themselves closely with the MAGA movement and Georgia’s conservative base.

Jackson one of top ad spenders in the country

In analysis published by AdImpact, Rick Jackson is the leading Republican for ad spending across the nation, and is one of this election cycle’s top ad spenders.

Jackson has spent $47 million on his ad campaign, according to the report, contributing to the 2026 primaries being one of the most expensive gubernatorial primaries on record.

Georgia gubernatorial candidates have spent $100.5 million across the race, according to AdImpact. Of that, Republicans have spent $99.2 million while Democrats have only spent $1.2 million on ads.

Nationally, Jackson is behind Tom Steyer (running for governor of California), the Yes on 50: The Elections Rigging Response Act, and Abigail Spanberger (Governor of Virginia).

Jackson is just ahead of conservative group One Nation and the Greater Garden State in ad spending.

Is ad spending paying off?

Jackson may be far outspending his Republican rivals in the primary, but he will still have a fight on his hands come May 19.

Polling from the New York Times, which aggregates multiple political polls from multiple sources, finds Jackson leading by anywhere from 8 to 15 points in some polls, while Jones leads by anywhere from 7 to 10 points in others.

The most recent published polls date to March, meaning these leads could have changed in the weeks since as the race heats up.

Jackson not only takes on Jones with his political machine, but he has turned his attention to Keisha Lance Bottoms, his likely opponent in the midterm race in November.

He has also made it a point to acknowledge that most of the spending, if not all, is coming from his own pocket and not outside interest groups, thanks to the success of his multi-billion dollar healthcare company.

“My campaign doesn’t need money from donors or special interests — I don’t owe anybody anything. Period. Every decision I make will be based on if it’s good for regular Georgians, not some donor base,” Jackson said in an April 14 post on X.

Jones, Jackson fight in campaign finance lawsuit

Jones took a legal hit earlier this year when a judge ruled against him and the way he was operating his campaign finances.

Jackson’s campaign filed a lawsuit against Jones alleging his leadership committee, tied to his current role at lieutenant governor, allows him to fundraise unlimited contributions for his campaign while other candidates are limited by campaign finance law. Other candidates had tried to stop the leadership committee previously.

Leadership committees are able to raise money year-round for general election-related activities and for candidates, but the chairperson of the committee must be the governor, lieutenant governor or party nominees for those offices. That means if someone is both holding office and running for office, they can use funds from the leadership committees for their own campaigns.

Jones’ group is able to raise “unlimited contributions,” thereby setting up a “de facto second, super-duper campaign committee for Lieutenant Governor Jones that disadvantages Jackson” and the other candidates, Jackson’s lawsuit alleges.

Opponents of Jackson also argue his campaign financing has some gray area.

Jackson’s companies have been paid nearly $1 billion since 2020 by state agencies through various government contracts, according to a Healthbeat analysis. Jackson Healthcare includes 21 subsidiaries, including some that received $10 million from the Department of Community Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jackson has told news outlets he was planning to spend $50 million of his own fortune to pay for his campaign, but government contracts also contributed to the success and profits of his healthcare companies. Jackson will likely need to separate his businesses from state agencies if he becomes governor to avoid conflicts of interests, Healthbeat reports.

Irene Wright covers midterm races in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.

The Georgia Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at April 14, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 14 drawing

17-21-24-57-69, Mega Ball: 12

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 3 numbers from April 14 drawing

Midday: 0-0-6

Evening: 0-1-6

Night: 5-6-3

Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash 4 numbers from April 14 drawing

Midday: 8-3-6-8

Evening: 6-5-1-6

Night: 5-8-2-5

Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Cash Pop numbers from April 14 drawing

Early Bird: 08

Matinee: 07

Drive Time: 10

Primetime: 14

Night Owl: 09

Check Cash Pop payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Georgia FIVE numbers from April 14 drawing

Midday: 9-2-2-8-7

Evening: 4-8-4-7-6

Check Georgia FIVE payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers from April 14 drawing

05-17-23-24-36

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 14 drawing

10-19-31-42-53, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

• Prizes under $601: Can be claimed at any Georgia Lottery retail location. ALL PRIZES can be claimed by mail to: Georgia Lottery Corporation, P.O. Box 56966, Atlanta, GA 30343.
• Prizes over $600: Must be claimed at Georgia Lottery Headquarters or any Georgia Lottery district office or mailed to the Georgia Lottery for payment.

Transportation Security Administration officers from the country’s busiest airport are catching a break after weeks of uncertainty during a partial government shutdown.

Federal funding for the Department of Homeland Security lapsed in February, leaving TSA officers across the nation’s airports working without pay. Congress was gridlocked as they debated appropriations for ICE, and the shutdown dragged on. Lines to get through security at major airports got longer and longer, and TSA officers began calling out of work as the financial burden became too great.

In the weeks since, ICE officers were deployed to airports to help the staffing shortages, and the president passed an order to pay TSA officers while the shutdown continues. TSA officers are largely back to work as normal and they have been receiving paychecks, but backpay from prior weeks won’t come until the shutdown is over.

Now, public service officials in Georgia are trying to make sure TSA officers can keep the lights on as the shutdown has no clear end in sight.

Georgia commission stops utility cutoffs

On Monday, the Georgia Public Service Commission announced an order had been filed to “ensure TSA agents who are living in Georgia will not have their utility service cut off for nonpayment and will not pay late fees for missed utility bills until the partial government shutdown ends,” according to a news release.

The motion was approved unanimously after being put forward by Commissioner Tricia Pridemore.

“Georgia is home to the world’s busiest airport and many regional airports where TSA agents work to keep us safe,” Pridemore said in the release. “During the partial shutdown, many TSA agents are taking up second jobs driving Ubers and utilizing other gig-economy jobs just to make rent or mortgages and to put food on the table. I’m hoping this order will give them one less thing to worry about.”

How can TSA officers get support?

TSA officers can qualify for the utility protection by verifying their employment with the TSA, then making sure the balances are paid once the shutdown is over.

“Their past-due balances must be paid within 30 days after the shutdown ends and TSA agents’ back pay is restored,” according to the commission. “Although many agents received a paycheck Friday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has cautioned TSA agents that future pay remains in limbo as the partial government shutdown continues.”

The order only applies to utilities that fall under the jurisdiction of the Georgia Public Service Commission. This includes Georgia Power and Atlanta Gas Light. There are several natural gas marketers in the state, but the commission said Atlanta Gas Light is still responsible for the pipelines and connecting and disconnecting service.

“TSA officers at Hartsfield-Jackson are showing up every day to keep Georgia safe, even as they go without a paycheck,” Commissioner Peter Hubbard said. “They shouldn’t have to worry about coming home to a dark house.”

When will the shutdown be over?

It’s unclear when the partial government shutdown may come to an end as Congress appears locked in debate over funding for immigration enforcement, also under the purview of DHS.

The shutdown could end Tuesday as the House returns from a recess, and they will be back in session at noon on April 14. Voting on the funding is not currently listed on the House weekly schedule, according to reporting from USA TODAY, but it could possibly be included in a section noted “additional legislative items.”

The Senate passed a bipartisan plan to fund DHS before the House went on recess, but some conservative House members have made it clear they wouldn’t support the plan that excludes funding for immigration and border control operations.

Irene Wright is following the partial government shutdown’s impact on TSA at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Find the Atlanta Connect reporter on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.