Georgia's Democratic governor race: Quiet primary, big stakes ahead

This year’s race for Georgia’s next governor on the Democratic side feels more like a marathon with no clear front runner rather than the high-energy showdown four years ago when Stacey Abrams nearly broke fundraising records. With the primary just weeks away, Democratic candidates are scrambling for attention while their Republican rivals already have a massive financial head start. Despite Georgia’s shifting political landscape—where Democrats nearly flipped the state in 2020 and 2022—this primary is playing out in slow motion. Republicans have poured nearly $100 million into ads, while Democrats have barely spent $1 million. The party’s best hope might be a June runoff, but first they need to survive a crowded field where no one is dominating.Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms stands out as the favorite to make the runoff, thanks to her name recognition and strong support from Black voters. But the second spot remains up for grabs among a few contenders, including former lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan, a Republican-turned-Democrat trying to convince voters he’s changed. Then there’s Jason Esteves, the only candidate making sharp attacks, positioning himself as the outsider who can unite Georgia’s growing diverse electorate. Bottoms insists her experience in city leadership and Biden’s cabinet makes her the tough leader Georgia needs. Esteves, however, questions her mayoral record, especially around crime and COVID-19 response. Duncan, meanwhile, is banking on his anti-Trump stance to pull in moderates, even if it means distancing himself from his old party. The Democratic field lacks the usual ideological splits seen in other states. Instead, it’s a mix of experience-based appeals—Thurmond leans on his decades in state government, Duncan sells his cross-party appeal, and Esteves bets on his fresh face and coalition-building. With so many candidates and so little money, Georgia’s Democrats might have their work cut out for them.