Here's Who Is Running For GA Governor In 2026

With Gov. Brian Kemp wrapping up his last term in Georgia, seven candidates have stepped up to claim his spot in the next election.

Kemp was first elected as Georgia governor in 2018 and again in 2022, making him ineligible to run for a third term.

When voters head to the polls on Nov. 3, 2026, seven gubernatorial contenders are hoping their names are checked.

Patch has gathered insight into candidates Chris Carr, Olu Brown, Jason Esteves, Burt Jones, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Derrick Jackson and Michael Thurmond. Most of the information used in this article was gathered from campaign websites, while a few details came from news articles.

Chris Carr

Party: Republican

Occupation: Georgia attorney general

Background: As Georgia attorney general since 2016, Carr established the inaugural Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit in 2019 and debuted the state's Gang Prosecution Unit in 2022, according to his biography. Another first, Carr's office created the first Organized Retail Crime Unit last year. Previously, he was the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

Stance on the Issues: Supports strategic tax incentives for the private sector. Continue combatting human trafficking and gang activity. Support President Donald Trump's border security efforts. Supports four-year degree alternatives through apprenticeships and the technical college system. Supports rural hospitals, plans to improve maternal health outcomes and grow the medical workforce.

Keisha Lance Bottoms

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Former Atlanta mayor and former senior adviser to the president for public engagement in the Biden administration.

Background: Bottoms was the first Atlanta mayor to serve in the three branches of government as a judge, city council member and mayor of the City of Atlanta. In her previous role as Atlanta mayor, Bottoms was able to increase salaries for police officers and firefighters, balance a budget without raising property taxes and rolled out the welcome mat for Fortune 500 companies that built their headquarters in Atlanta. She also led Atlanta through a massive cyberattack and invested in affordable housing.

Stance on the Issues: Plans Medicaid expansion and the elimination of income taxes for teachers. Combat corporate landlords accused of making the ability to buy or rent affordable homes difficult. Intends to invest in college.

Burt Jones

Party: Republican

Occupation: Georgia lieutenant governor

Background: Founded JP Capital and Insurance and former Georgia senator. In his role as a senator, his work helped established thousands of jobs in middle Georgia and was instrumental in the passage of the Election Integrity Act. Jones As lieutenant governor, Jones promoted tax reformation, supported school choice legislation and combatted the fentanyl epidemic.

Stance on the Issues: Invest in funding for students, teachers and other educational improvements. Ban critical race theory in schools and focus on civics-based education. Strengthen penalties for sex traffickers, gang members and repeat offenders. Cut state income tax. Prioritize vocational and technical education for workforce expansion. Grow funding for local law enforcement officers.

(Photo of Olu Brown not immediately available)

Olu Brown

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Former lead pastor of Impact Church. Author and owner of Culverhouse, a strategy-building company that supports a myriad of organizations.

Background: Brown grew Impact from a church with 25 members to one that seated thousands. He has a Lifetime Teacher's Certificate for grades 1-8 in Texas. Brown retired from pastoring in June 2022.

Stance on the Issues: Plans to advocate for education, affordable health care and small businesses.

Jason Esteves

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Georgia senator and owner of an urgent and primary care clinic in Atlanta. Owner of restaurants in Macon and Columbus. Former teacher, former at-large member and board chair of the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education.

Background: While sitting on the BOE, Esteves was key in pushing reforms that led to record-breaking graduation rates, and he redirected funding towards schools and classrooms while raising salaries for teachers. As a senator, Esteves lowered housing costs for senior citizens, increased access to health care and invested in schools.

Stance on the Issues: Plans to improve access to health care and protect women’s reproductive rights. Intends to lower housing costs, invest in schools and make it easier to start a business.

Derrick Jackson

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Georgia representative, U.S. Navy veteran, corporate general manager, adjunct professor, entrepreneur and non-profit board member.

Background: Formerly a marketing executive at General Electric, and following his 2016 introduction as a Georgia representative, Jackson successfully finished a second run for state representative in 2023. This came after his loss for lieutenant governor in 2022.

Stance on the Issues: Raise the minimum wage to $20 per hour and exempt state income taxes for nurses, public-school teachers military veterans and people older than age 65. Protect voting rights, defend reproductive and immigrant rights and shield the constitutional laws. Combat pollution, protect communities considered vulnerable and invest in renewable energy and sustainable practices. Modernize workforce systems.

(Photo of Michael Thurmond not immediately available)

Michael Thurmond

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Former DeKalb County CEO, former interim superintendent of DeKalb County Schools, former Georgia labor commissioner, former head of Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services and author.

Background: Thurmond was the first African-American from Clarke County to serve in the Georgia General Assembly since Reconstruction. Formerly leading DFCS, he established the Work First program to support 90,000 people in re-entering the workforce. Furthermore, old Department of Labor offices became career centers that helped more than 300,000 residents find employment. During his time as the former interim superintendent, school graduation rates rose; and, additionally, a $27 million dollar deficit was transformed into a $140 million dollar surplus when served as DeKalb CEO.

Stance on the Issues: Plans "to fight for working families, protect and expand access to health care and build an education system that creates multiple pathways to success."

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