Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene will not run for governor in 2026, the Georgia Republican said.
In a long statement posted to her personal X account on July 29, Greene said she wasn’t running for governor—but said she would win if she did.
“If I was running for governor the entire world would know it because I would be all over the state of Georgia campaigning, I would have ads running, I would be raising scary amounts of money, and I would literally clear the field,” Greene wrote.
The job will open up next year as Gov. Brian Kemp finishes his eighth year in the governor’s mansion, reaching the end of his term under the Peach State’s Constitution.
Despite often clashing with President Donald Trump throughout his political career, Kemp has maintained his popularity in Georgia.
In 2022, Kemp defeated a Trump-backed primary challenger, then-Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.), before going on to win the general election against Democrat Stacey Abrams with 53.41 percent of the vote to Abrams’s 45.88 percent.
Greene’s decision not to run comes as Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), another House Republican considered a contender for the job, also ruled out a run.
That leaves Georgia Lt. Gov. Brad Jones and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr as the main candidates seeking the Republican nomination.
On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, and state Rep. Derrick Jackson have announced bids for the nomination.
Abrams has expressed potential interest in making a third run for the governorship. Geoff Duncan, a former Republican lieutenant governor, has also expressed interest in the Democratic nomination.
Despite ruling out a run this cycle, Greene said she was confident she would outperform rivals if she decided to run at a later date.
“Just to remind everyone, the first time I ran, as a complete political outsider in 2020, I ran against eight well-respected men and beat them all, easily finishing off the last man by double points in a runoff,” Greene said, noting that she hadn’t received “the coveted Trump endorsement” that year.
Greene said she was “humbled and grateful” for “the massive statewide support I have to run for governor.”
“If I wanted to run we all know I would win. It’s not even debatable. And only because of that massive statewide support is why I ever considered it in the first place,” Greene said.
Greene then turned her attention to “the fragile state of Republican control in Georgia.”
Once considered a guaranteed pickup for Republicans, the Peach State has increasingly veered toward Democrats in recent years. The trend is driven, in part, by the mass migration of minority and professional voters into the Atlanta metropolitan area, voters who often favor Democrats.
Currently, its Senate delegation consists of two Democrats, Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, while former President Joe Biden narrowly won the state in 2020.
In her post, Greene blamed “the good ole boy system,” saying “that very established ‘Men Only’ Republican firm is unfortunately overseeing the slow slide from red to blue.”
“The ‘I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine’ wheeling and dealing at the hunting clubs and country clubs does not reflect the sentiment and issues of the vast majority of Georgia voters,” Greene said.
The same system was responsible for “candidates who offer lukewarm platforms that never address the issues plaguing our state.”
“As a woman, none of this appeals to me. As a mother, none of this appeals to me. As a lifelong Georgian and business owner none of this appeals to me,” Greene said.
Despite ruling out a run in 2026, Greene said that it’s still a possibility in the future.
“One day, I might just run without the blessing from the good ole boys club or the out of state consulting leaches or even without the blessing of my favorite President,” Greene said, referring to Trump.
“One day, I might just run purely out of the blessing of the wonderful people of Georgia, my family and friends, but it won’t be in 2026.”
