Former DeKalb County CEO and 2026 Georgia gubernatorial candidate Michael Thurmond stopped by The Atlanta Voice on Monday, Sept. 2, to discuss why he should be the Democratic nominee on the ballot next November. A former employee at The Athens Voice, a long-since closed newspaper within The Voice Network, Thurmond was hired right out of Paine College to work for The Atlanta Voice’s founder, J. Lowell Ware, the father of the paper’s current publisher, Janis Ware. He referred to himself as a “newspaper man” and has fond memories of working in the newspaper business for a Black-owned and operated publication.
Thurmond, however, left the journalism field for local and statewide politics and found success as a Georgia State Representative and Georgia Commissioner of Labor. Now he wants to make a run for the state’s top spot.
“This is beyond party politics,” Thurmond said.
The Atlanta Voice: Good morning, Mr. Thurmond, and welcome to WAREHOUSE Studios on the campus of The Atlanta Voice. Let’s get right to it. Why did you decide to run for governor?
Michael Thurmond: We are at a pivotal moment in the history of our state and of our nation. At this moment in time, we need leadership that can push back against some of the more damaging aspects of the new federalization in the Big Beautiful Bill.
AV: Can you elaborate on that?
MT: Here in Georgia, if we have the right governor, not one Georgian will have to lose his or her Medicaid. If we have the right governor with the right type of leadership, not one Georgian who deserves it and is eligible will have to lose their SNAP benefits. If we have the right leadership, we will not go back, but I think we can achieve a level of greatness that we have dreamed about but have not been able to grasp.
AV: And you believe you can provide the “right leadership” you’re speaking of?
MT: I believe so. I believe my background, not my promises, but my performances have prepared me for this unprecedented challenge that we face. My entire life experience has prepared me for this historic moment.
Thurmond said the fact that he has led successful transformations of both public and private agencies is something voters should consider an asset. “I’ve not been afraid to innovate and create new solutions to old problems,” he said.
AV: I covered the gubernatorial forum at First Baptist Church in Warner Robins on August 20. Why do you believe it was important for you to be there?
MT: This is more than a political campaign. If we see this through the prism of traditional politics, then I think you’re missing the moment. I think this is about the future of Georgia and the future of our nation. We now must stand in the gap to protect progress and how we define America.
AV: What do you believe you can bring to the office of the governor that the other candidates cannot?
MT: Georgia is not the worst-performing state in the nation. However, I do believe we are underperforming in many areas. I will continue to work hard to protect and advance Georgia’s ranking as the number one state to do business. Where we have fallen down is in ensuring that families have the resources and opportunities needed to fulfill their goals and ambitions.
If we can be number one in business, we ought to be number one in terms of being a safe place for a woman to give birth to her child. We should be number one in protecting our senior citizens. We ought to have the number one best public school system in America.
AV: You have been campaigning for several weeks now. What has that looked and felt like?
MT: My natural political habitat is the state of Georgia. I have done 80 different events and listening tours around the state of Georgia over the last year and a half. I wanted to go out and actually listen before I announced.
We had a packed house in Lumpkin County. I was thrilled that so many people came together for a common desire.
Before Thurmond left the office, he talked about being willing to go anywhere voters were. He said having strong ties in Atlanta and DeKalb County wouldn’t be enough to get the job done.
“We can’t win this with just Black voters,” Thurmond said. “It has to be a coalition of the willing.”
