Just over a week before early voting opened for the May 19 primaries, Leadership DeKalb hosted a nonpartisan 2026 Gubernatorial Forum in collaboration with 13 community organizations.
Attendees began to arrive at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts & Community Center in Decatur at 6 p.m. as supporters of various candidates held campaign signs along the road.
Five Democrats and two Republicans participated in the forum on Tuesday, April 21: Olu Brown (D), Clark Dean (R), Geoff Duncan (D), Jason Esteves (D), Derrick Jackson (D), Michael Thurmond (D) and Kenneth Yasger (R).
Maya Prabhu, a former politics reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, moderated the forum. After nearly a decade of covering Georgia politics, Prabhu is currently working to launch PeachPol, a new platform for political coverage in Georgia.
Social and civic entrepreneur Munir Meghjani, one of the event’s sponsors, introduced the 2026 Gubernatorial Forum, noting that the forum was nonpartisan and all candidates for Georgia governor were invited to participate. At-home viewers could stream the event live on YouTube.
“There has been a lot of talk about democracy, but action is the true blueprint. And tonight, we’re not just talking about it, but we’re building it together,” Meghjani said.
In his opening statement, Olu Brown (D) mentioned the recent shooting in Shreveport, La., that left eight children dead.
“Many people would say, ‘That’s Shreveport and not Georgia.’ I am fighting to be a governor who protects all of our children. Not only from trauma and death, like we experienced in Shreveport, but to make sure every kid in Georgia gets an excellent and quality education, to make sure every kid in Georgia gets the mental health therapy that they need,” Brown said.
Clark Dean (R) introduced himself as a business-minded candidate with 22 years of business leadership in Atlanta. His “ASAP Plan” prioritizes affordability.
“We need to move at the speed of business. We don’t have time to move at the speed of government. And again, we need competent executive leadership to do it,” Dean said.
Former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (D) positioned himself as a candidate who could reach across the aisle, highlighting his background as a former Republican who shifted parties, supporting Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign in 2024.
“I’m building that coalition of Democrats, Independents, and yes, even disgusted Republicans to show up and vote for not only me, but other Democrats up and down the ticket,” Duncan said.
Former Georgia State Senator Jason Esteves (D) emphasized his background as a small business owner and schoolteacher, prioritizing healthcare and affordability in his introduction.
“I know that Georgians are sick and tired of working harder than they’ve ever worked, and barely getting by. And it’s because of the old politics and politicians who have continuously put the interests of billionaires ahead of your interests, and your families,” Esteves said.
Georgia State Rep. Derrick Jackson (D) made it clear that healthcare would be his top priority as governor, followed by affordability.
“There’s no reason why, three years ago, 169 women died in Georgia, their death certificates stamped ‘preventable death.’ … We have a healthcare desert,” Jackson said.
Former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond (D) was on his home turf Tuesday night as he greeted a friendly audience. Most of the yard signs and supporters lining the road outside had been for him.
Thurmond honed in on healthcare and affordability during the forum, pledging to eliminate sales tax on feminine hygiene products and increase the number of Childcare and Parent Services (CAPS) scholarships if elected governor.
Ken Yasger was proud to be the candidate on the stage with the least political experience. He is a bartender on Tybee Island and has served 15 years in the military.
“Somebody during this campaign said, ‘I’ve heard you speak, and you sound like you’re better than just a bartender.’ Well, I’m running because there’s no such thing as just a bartender, just a server, just a garbage collector, just a teacher. They’re not just jobs. They’re running this state, and they don’t have a voice,” Yasger said.
All of the candidates took time to address healthcare weaknesses in Georgia. Clark Dean said he wants to create better midwifery education programs to address healthcare deserts and maternal mortality in rural areas of the state.
Jackson left the forum shortly before 8 p.m. for another engagement. Earlier that day, all gubernatorial candidates except for former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) attended a Gubernatorial Forum hosted by the Georgia Association of Manufacturers from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at The Battery.
The nonpartisan forum brought seven of the gubernatorial candidates to a shared stage less than one week before the televised Atlanta Press Club Loudermilk-Young Debate Series, where candidates would debate along party lines.
