Georgia Democrats are heading into next month’s governor’s primary in a crowded, low-dollar field that has attracted comparatively little attention—raising concerns that the party could miss another opportunity to win statewide office in a state where Democrats last captured the governor’s seat in 1998, according to AP’s reporting.
Four years ago, Democrat Stacey Abrams led the spotlight, flooding the race with millions of dollars as the media tracked her campaign. In 2026, AP reported there is far less campaign energy and money for Democrats as candidates compete for the nomination in the May 19 primary, even as Democrats view the general-election chance as stronger than in prior cycles.
Democrats’ internal calculation is also being driven by a steep fundraising contrast. AP reported that Republicans have flooded Georgia with nearly $100 million in advertising, while Democrats have spent $1.24 million, and that observers expect Democrats may not win a majority in the May 19 primary, prolonging uncertainty into a runoff.
At the Democratic Governors Association level, AP quoted Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as saying Georgia remains “in play” and that the party will provide funding once the nominee emerges. Beshear told AP during a visit to Atlanta to keynote a party dinner that, “We’re going to make sure the Democratic candidate in Georgia has the funding they need to compete.”
Among Democrats, AP said former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms could be headed toward a June 16 runoff, buoyed by name recognition and being the only Black woman in the Democratic field. AP reported that Bottoms has also framed her candidacy around experience gained in the Biden administration and issues she said she would pursue, including expanding health care, affordable housing and better education.
Bottoms has insisted she expects to win the contest despite the spending disparity. AP reported that after a campaign event Monday, Bottoms said, “I’ll still win,” echoing a broader argument among Democrats that money cannot overcome voter discontent with Republicans.
The Democratic race, AP said, does not show the kind of sharp policy splits seen in some other states, and it has not produced a clear stylistic separation. Only Esteves, AP reported, has been willing to attack fellow candidates directly—an approach that has played out in debates and campaign stops in recent days.
In a televised debate that included Bottoms, Duncan and Thurmond, AP reported that Duncan offered criticisms of Bottoms’ record as mayor in more oblique terms. After Thurmond blamed Duncan in connection with support for a bill that would allow people to carry guns more widely, Thurmond told AP in a post-debate interview that his criticism was not aimed directly at Duncan.
AP described Esteves as trying to move from relative obscurity toward contention with a late surge. He has spent about $1 million on advertising so far—AP said it is the only significant spending by any Democrat—while arguing he can build what he called a “multiracial, multigenerational coalition” needed to win Georgia’s younger, more diverse electorate. Esteves told AP in a Wednesday interview, “A lot of the challenges that Georgians are facing, I am facing in real time,” adding that voters want a candidate who not only wants to solve problems but can “identify personally with their issues.”
Esteves’ campaign also includes pointed criticism of Bottoms’ handling of crime, disorder and the COVID-19 pandemic as mayor, along with his assertion that her decision not to seek a second term showed she stepped away when “the going gets tough.” AP reported that Esteves said, “The fact that she did not run for reelection confirmed people’s belief that when the going gets tough, she stepped out on the city.”
AP reported that Esteves has also attacked Duncan, saying Duncan “oversaw some of the passage of the worst bills” as lieutenant governor, including Georgia’s abortion ban after fetal cardiac activity is detected. AP said that while many state lawmakers back Esteves, his top surrogate is Shanette Williams, the mother of Amber Nicole Thurman, who died in 2022 after taking abortion pills and developing an infection.
On the other side of the Democratic field, AP said Duncan is known for opposing President Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. Duncan told AP during the Wednesday night debate that, “I don’t want to only earn your vote, I want to earn your trust,” and AP reported that he has begun to pick up endorsements from moderate Democrats and unions in recent weeks.
Thurmond, AP reported, calls himself a “throwback” and says his experience across state and local government—including leading the state child welfare agency and serving as labor commissioner—would help him move quickly on Democratic priorities. AP quoted Thurmond as saying after the Wednesday debate, “I have a track record of service to the people of Georgia, and I believe this election would turn not on promises, but on performance,” and said he has been building support among rural voters and older Democrats, including backing from Roy Barnes and Andrew Young.
AP reported that Duncan, Esteves and Thurmond are all positioned against Bottoms’ name recognition as the May 19 date nears, with the second Democratic spot for a runoff described as wide open—while Republicans seek to maintain an advantage built largely through advertising spending.