Michael Thurmond Pitches Education And Fatherhood In His Gubernatorial Bid

By John A. Tures, Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College

On paper, Michael Thurmond should be a front-runner. But in this year’s crowded primary due to an open seat governor’s race, it’s hard to maneuver one’s way to the top in either party. Yet at a recent campaign stop, Thurmond relied upon his record on families, fatherhood, education, and a little inspiration from the Almighty, in his quest for the Democratic Party nomination.

Thurmond made his way to West Georgia to a Methodist church to preach his message to the faithful gathered on a Sunday afternoon. He focused most heavily on his work at DeKalb County CEO. “Michael Thurmond gets things done,” the speaker noted, documenting his role as an interim superintendent who worked to get test scores to improve and to replace a deficit with a surplus. “I hope to help all Georgians live up to their full potential,” he added.

The Georgia Governor candidate also noted his service as Georgia Labor Commissioner, one of the last Democrats from an era where the party prevailed at the statewide level and hopes to do so again. His message was one of assistance for working families.

But here, the speech moved from stump to service and family, a non-traditional approach that seemed to connect with the churchgoing audience. “We need to judge a man not by how many kids he has, but how many he cares for,” Thurmond preached.

He told stories of his sharecropper dad, raising kids in a place that didn’t have an indoor toilet until Michael turned 16. But his father still did his best to help his son with schoolwork.

“One time, I made fun of my father because he couldn’t spell ‘Mississippi,’” Thurmond told the crowd. But my mom told me he couldn’t read. Dad may not have had the answers, but he wanted to make sure I did my homework so I could go further than he did. He was trying to encourage me. The fact that he was in the room was what I needed.”

The candidate went on to give other examples. “Mama may not know the difference between a linebacker and a goal post,” Thurmond said. “But when the kid looks up into the stands, he’ll see mama. That’s all the coaching the kid needs. Same with music. The parents may not know Bach from Beethoven, but when they’re there in the concert hall, the child will know it’s important to him or her.”

Thurmond then went to the Bible for a series of stories. “We associate ‘good’ with ‘perfect,’ he said near the conclusion. “But the Bible had good but imperfect people in it.” He then gave a quote that a saint is a sinner who got back up again.”

Candidate Thurmond’s website showcases his impressive career, from defeating an incumbent in a state representative to be the first African American to represent Clarke County, his home, since Reconstruction. It highlights his “Work First” program at DFCS to get back into the work force and turned the unemployment office into a career center at the Labor Commission. He’s also an author of James Oglethorpe, tracing his path from slave trader to abolitionist. It seems just as unlikely path as is Thurmond’s push to be governor. But then again, Michael Thurmond is used to defying the experts and making a difference. We’ll see what unfolds in the party primary election on May 19, 2026.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange Collegein LaGrange, Georgia. His views are his own. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.eduor on “X” at @johntures2. His first book “Branded” a thriller novel about the intersection of academia, the business world, and the media, has been published by the Huntsville Independent Press (https://www.huntsvilleindependent.com/product-page/branded).