Bottoms, Esteves Enter Georgia Governors Race

The 2026 Georgia governor’s race is heating up for the Democratic Party.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and current Ga. State Sen. Jason Esteves (D-Atlanta) have both announced their candidacy for the position. Also, former Chief Executive Officer of DeKalb County Mike Thurmond, who also was a former member of the Georgia Assembly, is expected to announce his candidacy.

In a mass text sent to voters, Bottoms announced her run on May 20.

“I wanted you to hear this news from me first: I'm running for governor of Georgia. In a moment, I'm going to ask you to join this team from the very beginning, but first, let me tell you why I'm running. As mayor of Atlanta, I steered the city through some very difficult times, including the pandemic. We increased access to affordable housing, gave our first responders a historic pay increase, took steps to put more money back into the hands of the hardworking people of Atlanta, and more. But our fight is far from over. Donald Trump is a disaster for our economy and our country. He's failed to lower prices and he's given an unelected billionaire the power to cut Medicare and Social Security.”

Bottoms served as the 60^th mayor of Atlanta from 2018-2022, before she joined the Biden Administration as the Director of the Office of Public Engagement.

“It’s time for a leader who has your back and who will fight back – that’s why I’m running,” Bottoms continued in her text. “As governor, I will make expanding Medicaid my top priority, and I'll do more to protect those who protect us, just like I did as mayor. We need to start looking out for each other - and that's the kind of governor I will be for Georgia. If you're with me, join me in the fights ahead by becoming a founding donor today.”

Area residents seem excited about the possibilities of electing a Democratic governor of color.

“I think there is going to be a lot of interest in the race,” said State Sen. Ed Harbison Sr. “We have three candidates so far and it’s going to be a crowded field. Even Stacy Abrams might get back in.”

Esteves has been in office since 2023 and identifies as Afro-Latino.

“I’m running for Governor to make Georgia the number one place to work, start a business, and raise a family,” he said in a campaign video.

Harbison said the person who can raise the most money will be the one who ends up at the top of the ticket.

“We are going to have a hotly contested primary. You have a lot of people who have been elected before,” Harbison said. “It’s going to be a lot of cash spent to get to the top. Bottoms has great connections within the Democratic Party. I just can’t predict who will win at this time.”