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DeKalb County, GA - Today, former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond officially launched his campaign for Governor of Georgia, bringing to the race his deep Georgia roots, decades of public service, and a proven record of uniting diverse communities to deliver results for working families. As a candidate for Governor, Mike is running to tackle the skyrocketing cost of living, push back against extreme partisan attacks on health care, and be the champion for education in Georgia.

Mike will maintain his longstanding commitment to visiting every corner of the state, from the mountains of North Georgia to the fertile plains of South Georgia, to ensure that every community – rural, urban, and suburban – has a voice in building a more prosperous future for Georgia.

“Throughout my career, I've learned that in order to build bridges, you must be willing to be the bridge,” said Mike Thurmond. 

“I’m running for Governor to fight for working families, protect and expand access to healthcare, and build an education system that creates multiple pathways to success. Right now, the American Dream is slipping away from many Georgians. Washington Republicans have put 750,000 Georgians’ access to healthcare at risk and cut critical food assistance to struggling families – but the fight is just beginning. From north to south and east to west, we must unite to build one Georgia to tackle these problems.

"This campaign won’t be about promises, but performance. I have led the transformation of broken private and public organizations, passed tax relief for Georgia seniors and working families, and helped more than 300,000 unemployed Georgians find good jobs. Georgia deserves a leader with the courage to tune out the political nonsense, bring people together, and get results. The fight is not over – let’s put our boots on Georgia ground to get the job done.”

Mike knows the stakes are too high to let partisan politics stand in the way of progress. While extreme Republicans work to gut healthcare to fund tax breaks for billionaires, Mike will use his experience reforming broken institutions and balancing budgets to protect access to care and keep rural hospitals open. 

As the youngest of nine, Mike learned early the value of education—and he’ll fight to ensure every Georgia student has a pathway to success. The former superintendent of Georgia's third-largest school district, Mike will continue to champion public schools and stand up to Republican efforts to redirect taxpayer money to wasteful voucher schemes. He’ll work to build an economy that supports families and small businesses, because Georgia can’t afford four more years of rising costs and Washington dysfunction. 

Mike has built a reputation as Georgia's leading turnaround expert, transforming government institutions and making them more efficient and effective for Georgia families. When he was elected to serve as CEO of DeKalb County, Mike inherited a government with a $27 million structural deficit, demoralized employees, crumbling infrastructure, and a crisis of public trust. In less than a decade, he eliminated the deficit, created a $140 million surplus, and passed legislation generating more than $1.6 billion in property tax relief for DeKalb homeowners. He also created a partnership with Georgia farmers to buy and distribute more than 170,000 boxes of fresh produce to food-insecure families, increased the salaries of police officers and fire rescue personnel, invested $1.2 billion to repair and upgrade the county's long-neglected water and wastewater infrastructure, and implemented workforce development initiatives, including summer youth employment and GED programs for county employees seeking advancement. 

Before he was elected as County CEO, Mike was appointed as superintendent of the DeKalb County School District to restore order during a governance and financial crisis. Under his leadership, the district upgraded its threatened accreditation, eliminated a multimillion-dollar deficit, and improved academic performance and graduation rates. 

As Georgia’s Labor Commissioner, Mike worked across the aisle to repay the department’s debts and helped to overhaul the state’s unemployment program, modernizing processes and establishing the Georgia Works training program, which has been recreated in 30 states. Before his three terms as Labor Commissioner, Mike served as the state’s Director of the Division of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS), transforming the division’s culture and operations and creating the Work First program, which helped over 90,000 welfare-dependent families move into Georgia's workforce through comprehensive support rather than simply cutting benefits. 

Mike has also served in the Georgia General Assembly, authored multiple books on Georgia’s history, and was a finalist for the 2025 Georgia Author of the Year Award. After eight months of traveling across the state and listening to Georgians, Mike enters the race with a broad coalition of support. Mike’s campaign will reach all 159 Georgia counties, and in the coming months, will continue to listen and engage with communities well beyond metro Atlanta. Learn more at MikeThurmond.com.

ABOUT MIKE 

Mike Thurmond has dedicated his life to public service, building a distinguished record of fighting for working families and taking on tough jobs to help Georgians in need of support. A Clarke County native and the youngest of nine children, Mike learned the value of hard work and education from his family. Throughout his career in public service, from the Georgia General Assembly to Labor Commissioner and DeKalb County CEO, Mike has become Georgia’s go-to turnaround expert when institutions are broken and communities need results – not just promises. Whether it's eliminating multi-million-dollar deficits, modernizing outdated systems, or creating programs that support working families, Mike gets things done when others say it’s impossible. Now, Mike is running for Governor to help Georgia live up to its full promise.