ATLANTa — Georgia Democrat Jason Esteves announced on Monday that he’s running for governor in 2026, entering a field that remains murky for his party after two top potential candidates backed away from a run.
The 41-year-old state senator, also a lawyer and business owner, remains largely unknown outside his state Senate district, which includes parts of Fulton and Cobb counties. An early announcement could help him to raise money and increase his visibility.
He’s likely to emphasize his biography, including his young children and his past service as a public school teacher. Esteves has also served as treasurer of the state Democratic Party, giving him a network among Democratic activists.
In a video announcing his candidacy, Esteves sounded a note of opposition to Republican President Donald Trump while saying he would emphasize lowering the cost of living, including housing costs, as well as expanding health care, restoring abortion rights and increasing funding for schools.
“I’m running for Governor to make Georgia the number one place to work, start a business, and raise a family,” Esteves said in a statement. “As extreme politicians in Georgia push Trump’s reckless agenda and rig the system for special interests, Georgians pay the price.”
Incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is term-limited after two terms and can’t seek reelection in 2026.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has said she plans to run for governor as a Democrat, but has not yet filed papers to create a campaign. Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond has also expressed interest, and two-time nominee Stacey Abrams could yet choose to run again.
On the Republican side, Attorney General Chris Carr announced his run for governor last year and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is expected to announce his candidacy soon.
Esteves enters the race as two potential Democratic candidates step back to focus on family health concerns.
Former state Sen. Jason Carter, Democrats’ 2014 nominee and grandson of the late former President Jimmy Carter, said he has no plans to seek the 2026 nomination because of his wife’s cancer diagnosis. Kate Carter has glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. The couple has two teenage sons.
“For all intents and purposes, I can’t imagine making a decision to run because it’s the wrong time for my family,” Carter, 49, told The Associated Press on Monday.
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath announced on March 31 that she was suspending her exploratory bid for governor in 2026, saying she needed to focus on her husband Curtis’ health after complications from cancer surgery. The four-term member of Congress, best known as a gun control advocate, had filed papers on March 5 to raise money for governor.
Carter has been mentioned as a centrist candidate with high name identification who could run as a bridge between the Democrats’ base and voters who might be up for grabs if President Donald Trump’s popularity and the Republican brand take a dip heading into 2026.
An Atlanta attorney who has been out of politics since losing the 2014 governor’s race, Carter has drawn renewed attention in recent years as Carter Center board chairman and family spokesperson as his grandparents’ health declined. He eulogized his grandfather in January at the 39th president’s state funeral in Washington and did the same for his grandmother, Rosalynn Carter, at her Atlanta funeral in December 2023.
The younger Carter said he’s “not going to endorse anybody,” but added, “I’m very excited about Jason (Esteves)” and what he can offer voters and the party.
Esteves first won election to the state Senate in 2022 after nine years on the Atlanta school board. He was chair of the board for four years, including part of the time that the distict was heavily impacted by COVID-19. He touts increased graduation rates and higher pay for staff during that time, but some parents were displeased with how long it took the district to resume in-person classes.
While Esteves was leading the board, it also decided not to renew Superintendent Meria Carstarphen’s contract, which causes a stir among those who supported Carstarphen’s leadership following the school district’s cheating scandal.
Esteves and his wife, Ariel, own Flying Biscuit restaurants in Macon and Columbus, Esteves’ hometown. He and his wife also own an urgent and primary care clinic. They have two children.
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Associated Press writer Bill Barrow contributed to this report.
