ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — With Georgia heading toward another razor-thin election cycle, Georgia GOP Chairman Josh McKoon has decided not to run for another term.

“I have no interest in seeking a third term,” McKoon said, in an exclusive interview with Atlanta News First. “Four years is a long time to do a volunteer role like this one that has been challenging in a good way. But I think four years is quite enough.”

McKoon is banking on a massive Election Day wave to overcome strong Democratic early voting turnout, while brushing off public polling suggesting trouble for the GOP ticket.

McKoon conceded Republican early turnout has lagged behind historic highs seen in 2024, leaving GOP candidates heavily dependent on voters showing up in droves on Election Day.

“There’s no question that historically, Democrats have turned out in greater numbers during the early voting period,” McKoon said. “We’re not seeing that level of turnout [from 2024] in this election. What we do know, however, is that Republicans far outpaced Democrats on Election Day. So we’re expecting to see that on Tuesday.”

Addressing polls showing Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff holding a significant lead over Republican challenger Mike Collins — and warnings an Ossoff blowout could drag down down-ballot Republicans like gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson — McKoon pushed back, pointing to past national polling misses and arguing that surveys consistently undercount conservative voters.

“I remember waking up on Election Day 2016 and being greeted by a New York Times headline that said Hillary Clinton had an 85% chance to be president of the United States,” McKoon said. “We know how that turned out. So, I don’t have the same level of confidence in polling that some may have today.”

McKoon also revealed that win or lose on Tuesday, he will not seek another term as state party chairman when his current tenure ends. McKoon, who took the helm in 2023, said four years in the demanding volunteer role is “quite enough” and confirmed he made the decision eight months ago to step aside and focus on family and professional commitments before the 2028 presidential campaign ramps up.

“As soon as this election is over, the 2028 election will begin and we’ll be talking about who’s going to be elected president,” McKoon said. “Georgia is going to play a critical role in that race. So the outcome of Tuesday’s election really has no impact on a decision I made eight months ago.”

Atlanta News First provides you with the latest news, headlines and insights as Georgia continues its role at the forefront of the nation’s political scene. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest political news and information.

Atlanta News First podcasts are available now on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube

Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.