亚特兰大-民主党人迈克尔·瑟蒙德(Michael Thurmond)有很长的公共服务履历，现在他想把佐治亚州州长加入其中。
瑟蒙德周三宣布他将于2026年竞选该州最高职位，称他“每天都将为格鲁吉亚人民而战”，但也将自己标榜为能够弥合种族和政治分歧的人，成为28年来第一位赢得该州最高职位的民主党人。
瑟蒙德在周二的一次采访中承诺，他将成为一名“将专注于大多数格鲁吉亚人关心的日常问题——即食品杂货或租金或支付抵押贷款的费用，获得医疗保健，以及非常坦率地结束阻止我们在这个州取得更多进展的分歧”的领导人
72岁的瑟蒙德加入了一个已经包括州参议员杰森·埃斯特韦斯，前亚特兰大市长凯莎·兰斯·波顿斯和其他寻求党内提名以接替共和党的人布莱恩·坎普州长，谁连任两届就不能再竞选了。
瑟蒙德是赢得佐治亚州全州办公室选举的仅有的三名黑人之一，在2010年首次赢得选举后担任了三届劳工专员。自1986年当选以来，他也是第一位来自他的家乡雅典的黑人州议员。像所有其他目前宣布的民主党候选人一样，瑟蒙德现在正在寻求成为佐治亚州的第一位黑人州长。
当瑟蒙德试图在2010年竞选参议员时，他输给了在任的共和党人约翰尼·伊萨克森那一年，他远远落后于民主党州长候选人罗伊·巴恩斯。
瑟蒙德最近担任了两届迪卡尔布县的当选首席执行官，在他离任时，该县位于亚特兰大郊区，银行中有1.5亿美元。在此之前，他作为临时主管稳定了迪卡尔布县的学校系统，在认证机构以财务管理不善、学校董事会功能失调和裙带关系为由威胁要取消其批准后。瑟蒙德在1992年放弃州议会席位竞选国会议员失败后，还在1990年代中期担任佐治亚州家庭和儿童服务司司长，监督福利改革。瑟蒙德是一名律师，他写了多本书论格鲁吉亚历史.
“我带来了服务和成就的记录，”他说。"在我的职业生涯中，我从不回避接受艰难的工作。"
波顿和埃斯特韦斯都展示了反对他们所认为的错误政策的计划唐纳德·特朗普总统，吸引恐惧和愤怒的民主党党员。瑟蒙德说，他也是一名战士，但框架不同。
“这不是在和特朗普对抗，”他说。“我要为佐治亚州居民而战。”
一些民主党人还呼吁领导层进行代际更替，这一趋势在长期反对美国众议员大卫·斯科特的主要人中显而易见。瑟蒙德从政40多年，他认为成功的记录将更加重要。
“我采访过的民主党人最担心的是，他们想要一个能够获胜的候选人，”他说。
瑟蒙德是佃农家庭九个孩子中最小的一个。1970年，雅典全黑人高中与历史上的全白人高中合并时，他是该校的班长。瑟蒙德说，在那之前，他几乎不认识白人，但作为联合学生会主席，他必须学会如何与他人相处。他说，他的胜利之路的一部分是追求选民的“更好的天使”，就像让他当选劳工专员一样。
“对我来说这不是假设。我亲眼见过。我经历过，”瑟蒙德说。“因此，我带着对这个州和佐治亚州人民的巨大信心加入这场竞选。”
Democrat Michael Thurmond is running for Georgia governor, pledging to improve lives
ATLANTA --Democrat Michael Thurmond has a long resume of public service, and now he wants to add governor of Georgia to the list.
Thurmond announced his 2026 bid for the state's highest office Wednesday, saying he's “going to fight for the people of Georgia every day," but also pitching himself as someone who can bridge racial and political divides to become the first Democrat to win the state's top office in 28 years.
Thurmond promised in an interview Tuesday to be a leader who “will focus on the everyday issues that most Georgians are concerned about — i.e. the cost of groceries or rent or paying the mortgage, access to health care and quite frankly ending divisiveness that has prevented us from progressing more in this state.”
The 72-year-old Thurmond joins a Democratic field that already includesstate Sen. Jason Esteves, formerAtlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottomsand others who are seeking their party's nomination in an attempt to succeed RepublicanGov. Brian Kemp, who can't run again after two terms.
Thurmond is one of only three Black people to win election to statewide office in Georgia, serving three terms as labor commissioner after first winning election in 2010. He was also the first Black state legislator from his hometown of Athens since Reconstruction when elected in 1986. Like all the other currently declared Democratic candidates, Thurmond is now seeking to become Georgia’s first Black governor.
When Thurmond tried to run for Senate in 2010, he lost badly to incumbent RepublicanJohnny Isakson, running significantly behind Democratic gubernatorial candidate Roy Barnes that year.
Thurmond most recently served two terms as the elected CEO of DeKalb County, an Atlanta suburb that had $150 million in the bank when he left office. Before that, he was credited with stabilizing the DeKalb County school system as interim superintendent, after its accreditation agency threatened to strip its seal of approval, citing financial mismanagement, school board dysfunction and nepotism. Thurmond also oversaw welfare reform as director of Georgia's Division of Family and Children Services in the mid-1990s, after he gave up his state House seat to make an unsuccessful run for Congress in 1992. Thurmond is a lawyer and he has written multiple bookson Georgia history.
“I bring a record of service and accomplishment,” he said. “I, throughout my career, never shied away from taking on tough jobs.”
Both Bottoms and Esteves have showcased plans to oppose what they see as wrongheaded policies put forth byPresident Donald Trump, appealing to Democratic partisans who are fearful and angry. Thurmond says he too is a fighter, but frames it differently.
“It’s not fighting Trump,” he said. “I’m going to fight for Georgia residents.”
Some Democrats are also calling for a generational turnover in leadership, a trend that's clearly apparent among the primary opponents of longtime U.S. Rep. David Scott. After more than four decades in politics, Thurmond said he believes a track record of success will be more important.
“The number one concern of the Democrats I talked to is that they want a candidate who can win,” he said.
Thurmond is the youngest of nine children born to a sharecropper. He was class president of Athens' all-Black high school when it was consolidated with the historically all-white high school in 1970. Thurmond has said that until then he knew few white people, but as co-student body president, had to learn how to deal with others. He said part of his path to victory is to pursue the “better angels" of voters in the same way that got him elected labor commissioner.
“It’s not a hypothetical for me. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I've experienced it,” Thurmond said. “And consequently I come into this race with great faith in this state and the people of Georgia.”
