By Ciara Essence Whimbush

With the Georgia Governor’s election set for November 3, 2026, and a pending date for the primaries, several Democrats have begun to throw their proverbial hats into the ring for a chance to earn the coveted spot as a Democratic candidate. After House Representative Lucy McBath (D-Ga) suspended her campaign to care for her husband on his cancer journey, the current competition is now between former mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms, and State Senator of Georgia’s 35th District, Jason Esteves. On the heels of an eventful session of the Georgia General Assembly, Esteves’ active role in debating pressing issues facing his constituents provided him with an intimate look into what Georgians are concerned about; now that his feet are firmly dug into the groundwork of his campaign, his platform offers a wide look into how he can best assist the people of the Peach State as Governor. 

“I am proud of the bipartisan record I have built as a Georgia state senator. During the last legislative session, for example, my bill to cut property taxes for Atlanta seniors passed with bipartisan support. Something I’ve learned while representing Georgians at the State Capitol is that the majority of Georgia families want the same thing: to keep and grow the hard-earned money in their pockets. As Governor, I’ll work with whoever it takes to tackle the high cost of living in our state and invest in Georgia families,” Esteves said. 

Born into an Afro-Latino family, Esteves was raised to appreciate the importance and beauty of diverse communities, which has fueled his later political work. He credits his mother with guiding his career goals and motivations due to her devotion to being a public servant, which led Esteves to his career in teaching. Through his experience working with talented yet underprivileged social studies students, Esteves dreamed of bridging the gap between socioeconomic status and education opportunity for the children he inspired — an endeavor he fiercely embarked on as the Board Chair for Atlanta Public Schools. In this role, he succeeded in increasing the city’s graduation rate, increasing pay for teachers, and providing youth with the resources they needed to thrive in school. His ten year tenure serving on the Board of Education for Atlanta’s Public Schools helped to usher Esteves’ name into conversations of advocacy and impact in the state of Georgia, further pushing him to politics.

When establishing his foundation for running for state Senate, Esteves’ main goal resided in fixing the ailments in Georgia that had been left by previous lawmakers. With a focus on healthcare, education, and housing disparities, Esteves wanted citizens to feel like they, too, had an impactful voice in the decision-making bodies of the Peach State. 

In his position as a State Senator since 2022, Esteves has worked tirelessly to stand up for Georgians whose politics may often render voiceless. Notably, Esteves has an impressive record of advocating for election integrity in Georgia; during the last legislative session, he sought to remove a provision in a Republican-backed bill, SB 397, that would have limited early voting sites in counties across the state. Esteves also heavily criticized the provision in the bill that would remove Georgians from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a system that helps register and catalog votes smoothly. Esteves’ commitment to highlighting how inefficient and inaccessible GOP-proposed voting measures would be for the average Georgian shows his commitment to providing every citizen with a seat at the table. 

As the familiar heat of a Georgia summer blazes on, Esteves continues to utilize social media platforms — as well as his newsletter, Jason’s Journal — to update citizens on the promises of his campaign and the work he’s doing to connect with voters of all ages. As of Monday, June 30, his campaign has raised over $1.1 million over the span of 2 months. Although the final breakdown of specific donors has not been released, 85% of the financial support has come from in-state donors. 

Always keeping the youth in mind, Esteves urges Georgia’s youngest voters to stay engaged with their local politics, and urges them to understand that their civic voices matter. With the potential to positively impact young Georgians as Governor, the Democratic hopeful aims to keep inspiring this demographic to act. 

“To be honest, a lot of young Georgians are checked out right now and I can’t blame them. Our next generation of leaders has less opportunity than their parents had; many young people are wondering how upcoming elections have anything to do with them. I am running for Governor to ensure our young people don’t have to work two to three jobs to make ends meet. As Governor, I’ll fight to ensure our next generation of leaders can graduate from high school or from college and can get a reliable, good-paying job right where they live. We have to do more to help our young people keep and grow the money in their pockets. Young people are a crucial part of this upcoming election. I am looking forward to talking to young voters in every corner of this state about the issues that matter most to them,” Esteves said.

Readers can learn more about Esteves and his campaign here: Georgia for Jason.

Ciara Whimbush is a rising freshman at the University of Georgia who is majoring in Political Science. An avid writer and learner, Whimbush has been featured in publications such as The Chant (North Cobb High School’s student-led newspaper), Marietta Daily Journal Online, he Legal Pad, The Dawn Review, The Georgia Recorder, and Rough Draft Atlanta. Additionally, she has won various awards for her journalism, such as 1st Place inthe Georgia Scholastic Press Association’s 2025 Behavioral Health Journalism Excellence Competition for her work on the importance of Black women’s mental health. As an alumni of the Georgia Governor Honors Program’s 60th cohort, as well as the 2025 Class of the Disney Dreamers Academy, Whimbush is passionate about helping others, and raising awareness towards the opportunities that lie at the fingers of students. 

In addition to her work, Whimbush loves to spend time cooking, dancing, scrapbooking, and exploring new thrift stores with friends and family. As a new contributor to The Cobb County Courier, she looks forward to writing stories that can connect generations across her community.