CHAMBLEE, GA. – While United States President Donald Trump was in North Georgia, all seven Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidates, Olu Brown, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, and former Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan, State Rep. Derrick Jackson, former State Senator Jason Esteves, State Rep. Ruwa Romman, and former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, took the stage inside the auditorium at Chamblee High School on Thursday night. The forum, hosted by DeKalb Democrats, was well attended.
Following introductions, each candidate was allowed to answer questions from the evening’s moderator, Clark Atlanta University professor and journalist Summer Jackson. The topics ranged from education and healthcare reform to ICE’s presence in Georgia and the FBI raid on the Board of Elections office last month.
Trump was on the minds of the candidates during the forum. During his opening remarks, Esteves made sure to mention the president while adding that he isn’t running from a fight. “I’ve always run towards the fight, and that’s what I’m going to do as governor.
“I’m going to stand tall and fight against Donald Trump,” Esteves said.
Duncan, once again, had to defend his Republican record during the forum. During his opening remarks, he said Georgians could elect him to solve the “Donald Trump crisis.” He had to deflect a number of comments from fellow candidates, including Esteves and Jackson.
Jackson, the only veteran running on the Democratic side, said he had been fighting the good fight for the last decade, and that he is the only candidate “that is qualified to be commander in chief.”
Romman did not mention the president at the beginning of the forum. She instead focused on some of the issues she’s well known for, including that this election will be one for the history books.
“This is a once-in-a-generation election cycle,” said Romman.
Back on his home turf, Thurmond had a group of supporters shouting his name and holding signs throughout the evening. The former DeKalb County CEO said the government belongs to the people of Georgia, and putting him in office would put the focus back on Georgia’s people instead of its profits.
Brown, a former minister, was the only candidate who mentioned the late Reverend Jesse Jackson during his time on stage. Esteves and Brown are both former teachers, and each man was concerned about how children were learning in school.
“We are not training kids to be citizens of Georgia. We are training kids to compete with the rest of the world,” said Brown.
All the candidates agreed that Georgia’s Quality Basic Education (QBE) was failing the state’s students. The education topic also included how to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. Esteves said getting police out of the schools. Bottoms suggested ensuring disciplinary standards are equal among students. National data shows Black male students are suspended from school more than any other race.
All of the candidates also agreed on expanding the Affordable Care Act, expanding overall healthcare, and that Georgians shouldn’t have to choose between paying bills and paying for healthcare.
“I learned a lot behind enemy lines. The only way to fix healthcare is to expand Medicaid,” Duncan said.
“The governor sets the priorities for this state,” said Bottoms.
Following the forum, Bottoms was asked about Trump’s visit to Georgia today. The former judge and Atlanta City Councilwoman said she wasn’t sure what “crazy things he had to say today, but the reality is this: there are a lot of issues facing this state that I am certain he’s not addressing. One is the affordability crisis, one is the 1.5 million Georgians who saw their healthcare premiums go up, and the people who are dealing with layoffs at the CDC. He’s not talking about the real issues.
“He’s a distraction in every single way possible.”
Esteves added: “Donald Trump and his failed economic agenda are the reason millions of Georgians can’t afford to buy groceries, access the healthcare they need, or put a roof over their head. He promised to lower costs, but has instead focused on unleashing political violence and attacking our democracy.