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Five candidates are listed in the 2026 race for Georgia’s 8th Congressional District, creating a contested campaign for the federal House seat. The field includes four candidates identified as Democrats and one candidate identified with a W designation.
The general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, 2026. Voters in the district will choose among candidates seeking to represent GA-8 in the U.S. House.
Who is running in GA-8
The five candidates listed for the race are:
- James L Iii Cooper, Democrat: Cooper is one of four candidates in the field running under the Democratic label. He is seeking the same GA-8 seat as the other four listed candidates.
- Kelly DR Esti, Democrat: Esti is one of four candidates in the field running under the Democratic label. Esti is seeking the same GA-8 seat as the other four listed candidates.
- Justin Laster, Democrat: Laster is one of four candidates in the field running under the Democratic label. Laster is seeking the same GA-8 seat as the other four listed candidates.
- Roman Coley Pfc Davis, W: Davis is the only candidate in the field listed with a W designation. Davis is seeking the same GA-8 seat as the other four listed candidates.
- Justin Lucas, Democrat: Lucas is one of four candidates in the field running under the Democratic label. Lucas is seeking the same GA-8 seat as the other four listed candidates.
The party or candidate designation is part of the race listing, but it does not establish where a candidate stands on individual issues. Davis’ W designation should not be expanded into another label without an official definition.
Why the race is contested
A contested race has more than one candidate seeking the same office. GA-8 meets that definition because Cooper, Esti, Laster, Davis and Lucas are all listed for one U.S. House seat.
The size of the field gives voters multiple names to consider. It does not indicate how support is divided, how the campaign will develop or what the final general-election ballot will look like. The scheduled election date establishes when the general-election decision will be made, not which candidate will prevail.
Four candidates share the Democratic label, while Davis carries a different designation. Party labels are one way voters can distinguish candidates, but they are not substitutes for policy positions, campaign plans or explanations of how each person would approach the work of Congress.
What voters can compare now
None of the five candidates has a documented policy position in the race record. That means there is not yet a stated basis for comparing Cooper, Esti, Laster, Davis and Lucas on legislation, federal spending or other matters that could come before the U.S. House.
For now, the clearest distinctions are the candidates’ names and listed designations. Cooper, Esti, Laster and Lucas are identified as Democrats. Davis is identified with a W designation.
What comes next
The central process question is how the five-person field develops before Nov. 3, 2026. Candidate status and the final ballot are important because the current field contains several people sharing one party label as well as one person with a different designation.
Policy statements would also give voters a clearer way to compare the candidates. Until candidates set out positions, the race remains defined primarily by its five-person field, its party designations and the scheduled general-election date.
