Incumbent governor Sonny Perdue (R) was ineligible to seek re-election due to term limits.

The Republican primary featured four candidates who received over 15% of the vote in the first round: former Secretary of State Karen Handel, former U.S. representative Nathan Deal, former Georgia state senator Eric Johnson, and Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine.

[3] The Democratic nomination was won easily by former governor Roy Barnes without a runoff; his most prominent opponent was Attorney General Thurbert Baker.

Incumbent superintendent of education Kathy Cox (R) originally intended to seek re-election, but on May 17 announced that she would resign effective July 1, 2010 in order to take a position as CEO of a new non-profit, the U.S. Education Delivery Institute in Washington D.C.[11] William Bradley Bryant was appointed by Gov.

Incumbent commissioner of insurance John Oxendine (R) was retiring from his position to run for Governor of Georgia.

Incumbent Commissioner of Labor Mike Thurmond (D) was retiring from his position to run for the United States Senate.