Skip to content
Ballot Explained

U.S. House · November 3, 2026

Who's running in Georgia's 12th congressional district

2 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.

Candidates
2
Incumbent
Rick Allen
Parties
Republican · Democratic
State primary
May 19

Candidates appear in ballot order. We do not rank them, score them, or recommend one — here is how this is put together, and here is what the office actually does.

2 candidates · ballot order · Rick Allen currently holds this seat

Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Education and labour policy, as a member of the Education and Workforce Committee.
  • Energy and health policy, as a member of Energy and Commerce.
  • The Republican budget agenda, including the 2025 reconciliation bill.
  • Telephone town halls as his method of constituent contact; he says these reach three to five thousand people at a time.
  • Opposition to federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • U.S. Representative for the 12th District since January 2015; re-elected in 2024 with 60.3%.
  • Construction company owner before Congress.
  • Won the May 19, 2026 Republican primary with more than 80%, having raised more than $800,000 against $33,000 for his challenger.
  • Voted for the 2025 reconciliation bill containing the Medicaid reductions; says the bill does not cut Medicaid and that criticism of it is misinformation.
  • Holds telephone rather than in-person town halls.

Arguments in favor

  • He won renomination with more than 80% of the vote and outraised his primary opponent by more than twenty to one, which his campaign presents as the district's Republicans settling the question.

    — The Allen campaign, and primary results reported by WRDW

Arguments against

  • More than a hundred constituents held a sit-in at his Augusta office demanding an in-person town hall, saying his telephone town halls are not sufficient, and raising the budget resolution's Medicaid cuts, the SAVE Act, veterans' care and the future of the Education Department.

    — Indivisible CSRA, the League of Women Voters of the CSRA, Georgia Shift Action and the CSRA Good Trouble Coalition, reported by The Augusta Press and WJBF

  • A national abortion-rights organisation says he knowingly voted to take health coverage from more than ten million Americans by cutting Medicaid funding and defunding Planned Parenthood.

    — Reproductive Freedom for All

What we couldn’t verify

  • Allen disputes the Medicaid criticism, saying the bill does not cut Medicaid and that much of the objection stems from misinformation; both his account and his critics' are recorded here.
  • The ten-million figure is the advocacy group's and was not independently verified.
  • No campaign website for him could be located; the link given is his official House site.
Their campaign site ↗Sources:allen.house.govtheaugustapress.comwrdw.comreproductivefreedomforall.orgajc.com

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Veterans' access to the benefits they are owed, which she says constituents tell her they struggle to get.
  • Livable wages for working parents holding down more than one job.
  • Cost-of-living relief for older residents.
  • Federal employees' pay and protections; she is endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Grovetown City Council member from 2021, re-elected in 2024; resigned in 2026 to focus on the congressional campaign.
  • Candidate for the Georgia state Senate in 2020.
  • Won the May 19, 2026 Democratic primary in a five-candidate field.
  • Endorsed by the American Federation of Government Employees.

Arguments in favor

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

Arguments against

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

What we couldn’t verify

  • No published criticism of Smith by name could be found. Searched: her name with 'criticism', with 'opponent', against National Republican Congressional Committee material, against Rick Allen's campaign, and against Augusta Chronicle, Augusta Press, WRDW and WJBF coverage. Because no case against her exists on the record, no case for her is presented either.
  • Her fundraising was not established from sources read; the incumbent had raised more than $800,000 by the primary.
  • Her positions on federal legislation beyond veterans, wages and cost of living were not established.
Their campaign site ↗Sources:cerettasmith.comtheaugustapress.comtheaugustapress.comballotpedia.org

Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.

Georgia held its primary on May 19, 2026, with runoffs on June 16. Republican incumbent Rick Allen won renomination with more than 80% against a primary challenger; Grovetown city council member Ceretta Smith emerged from a five-candidate Democratic field. The district runs from Augusta to Statesboro in eastern Georgia. Roster confirmed against Ballotpedia and WRDW and Augusta Press reporting. Criticism of Smith by name could not be found, so her entry carries no arguments in either column.

This is one contest on a longer ballot

A Georgia ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.

See my full Georgia ballot

Voting in Georgia

Confirm this with the official source

Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Georgia Secretary of State.

Other 2026 races in Georgia

Georgia ballot measures

Before you vote

How do I find out what's on my ballot?

How do I check if I'm registered to vote?

How do I research candidates I've never heard of?

Should I vote early, by mail, or on Election Day?