ATLANTA — Georgia State Sen. Jason Esteves launched his official campaign for governor on Monday.
Esteves, who currently represents Georgia Senate District 35, is the first Democratic lawmaker to enter the 2026 gubernational race.
“I’m running to be the next Governor of Georgia. As a former teacher, small business owner, dad, and state senator, I’ve seen Georgia’s potential because I’ve lived it. Georgia families are just looking for a fair shot. I’m Jason Esteves, and I know that together we can build a better Georgia,” he said in his first campaign video.
Jason Esteves for GeorgiaI’m running to be the next Governor of Georgia. As a former teacher, small business owner, dad, and state senator, I’ve seen Georgia’s potential because I’ve lived it. Georgia families are just looking for a fair shot. I’m Jason Esteves, and I know that together we can build a better Georgia. Join our campaign at jasonesteves.com
Posted by Jason Esteves on Monday, April 21, 2025
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Esteves grew up in Columbus, Georgia and worked as a public school teacher before his career in politics.
He served as the chair of the Atlanta Public Schools board from 2018 until 2021.
He won his election to the Georgia State Senate in 2022 and was sworn into office in Jan. 2023.
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With Gov. Brian Kemp’s second and final term ending in 2026, the race to take over the governor’s mansion is expected to be wide-open.
Only two other candidates besides Esteves have officially declared: Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr for the GOP nomination and former pastor Olujimi Brown for the Democratic nomination.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms may also enter the race.
“I have previously publicly shared that I was seriously considering a run for governor and expect to make a formal announcement soon,” Bottoms told Channel 2 earlier this month.
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath launched an exploratory committee for a potential run for governor, but suspended it after her husband’s cancer diagnosis.
Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones Jones isn’t saying yet if he’s running for governor, though most think he is. Jones said he needs more time.
“I’m going to get back into my office and work on getting caught up on a few things, and then we’ll worry about timelines and all that stuff,” Jones said.
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