Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond officially launched his bid to be Georgia’s next governor on Wednesday with an attention-grabbing campaign ad that appears to take a shot at President Donald Trump.
Footage of Thurmond speaking at a “No Kings” protest in Athens in June is featured in the “Boots on Georgia Ground” ad, which cites “inflation, health care, crime” as three of the issues he wants to address.
The nationwide No Kings protests were organized in opposition to Trump’s military parade and the unilateral actions his administration has taken since his inauguration in January, including the layoff of thousands of federal workers in the Atlanta metro area.
Thurmond is heard shouting “don’t get discouraged” during the ad, which centers on Georgians organizing in opposition to Trump’s political agenda, including sweeping cuts to social safety net programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and HUD rental assistance.
“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,” Thurman wrote in a Wednesday morning Facebook post announcing his run for governor.
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“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,” he continued. “Let’s put our boots on Georgia ground to get the job done.”
Thurmond stands out in an increasingly crowded field of gubernatorial candidates as the only Black contender to previously win a statewide office race.
The 72-year-old Athens native made history in 1998 when he won Georgia’s race for labor commissioner, becoming the first non-incumbent Black person ever elected to a statewide office in the Peach State. He’s hoping to make history again next year as the state’s first Black governor-elect, but he’ll have to defeat several competitive Black contenders in the Democratic primary to do so.
Trump has helped the Republican Party make gains with Black voters, both in Georgia and across the country, since his first run for president in 2016, but an overwhelming majority of Black people still vote Democrat. Any Democratic candidate for a statewide office race has to maximize their appeal to Black voters, who represent nearly a third of the electorate, without turning off non-Black voters.
State Rep. Derrick Jackson, D-Tyrone, threw his hat in the ring in June. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms recently secured endorsement from the American Federation of Government Employees, looking to capitalize on the anger many still have over Trump laying off thousands of federal workers.
Read More: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Announces Run for Governor
State Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta, has been racking up endorsements of his own. And Stacey Abrams hasn’t silenced speculation that she plans to launch a third try to become Georgia’s next chief executive.
In November, Attorney General Chris Carr became the first Republican candidate to officially seek the office currently occupied by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones followed suit in June.
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