by (Georgia Recorder) In what is expected to be a contentious 2026 election, Democrat Michael Thurmond has entered the contest to become Georgia’s next governor.
Thurmond posted a message on social media Wednesday morning, saying, “I’m running for governor to fight for working families, protect and expand access to healthcare, and build an education system that creates multiple pathways to success.”
From 2017 to January, Thurmond, 72, was the CEO of DeKalb County.
Thurmond was the first African-American elected to the Georgia General Assembly from his native county since Reconstruction. He was the son of a sharecropper in Clarke County. He was recognized for helping to thwart a danger to the district’s accreditation while serving as temporary superintendent of the DeKalb County School District and serving three terms as Georgia’s labor commissioner.
Thurmond promised to campaign on his record and tour the state.
In a statement, he declared that this campaign would be about performance rather than promises. I have spearheaded the reform of dysfunctional public and commercial institutions, enacted tax breaks for Georgia’s working families and elders, and assisted over 300,000 jobless Georgians in obtaining decent employment. Georgia needs a leader that has the guts to ignore the political bullshit, unite the populace, and achieve outcomes.
When Governor Brian Kemp’s second and final term ends next year, Thurmond is not the only one hoping to move into the governor’s home.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr are the early front-runners for the GOP candidacy, while state senator Jason Esteves, state representative Derrick Jackson, and former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms are also vying for the Democratic nomination.
Following the May 19, 2026, party primaries, the winners of each party will compete in the Nov. 3 midterm, which will also feature contests for all state legislative seats, the U.S. Senate, and other high-level positions including attorney general and lieutenant governor.
