Polling Average
50%40%30%20%10%0%
6.2%
39.7%
11.4%
8.8%
Democrat
Jason Esteves
Georgia Democratic Governor nominee?
$2.0M
MAY 26, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleFormer State Senator
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyMainstream Democrat
Age43 years old (Jul 19, 1983)
GenderMale
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LocationGeorgia
BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Miami (BA)
Notable personal detailsJason Fernando Esteves is an American attorney, businessman, and Democratic politician who represented Georgia State Senate District 35 from January 9, 2023 to September 10, 2025, resigning to focus on a 2026 gubernatorial campaign. He previously served on the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education, including as board chair. He has worked as a litigation attorney and corporate counsel/executive, and has been involved in small business ventures in Georgia.
SourcesShowHide
en.wikipedia.orglegis.ga.govsenate.ga.govjasonesteves.inbranch.votesalon.comfrontpage.ballotpedia.orgajc.comciclt.neteverything.explained.todayballotready.orgtransparencyusa.orgbilltrack50.coms3.amazonaws.comefile.ethics.ga.govreddit.comgovinfo.govgaleo.orggacasa.orgjasonesteves.comthesoutherneronline.comapnews.comyahoo.comnhcsl.orggeorgiarecorder.comatlantadailyworld.comnowhabersham.comfox5atlanta.comaxios.comajc-ajc-prod.web.arc-cdn.netgapundit.comwjcl.comatlantatribune.comcoastalcourier.cominstagram.comroughdraftatlanta.comthehill.comcbsnews.com11alive.comfacebook.comatlantanewsfirst.comthecurrentga.orgballotpedia.orgyoutube.comjustfacts.votesmart.orgfec.govdocquery.fec.govdeveloper.ballotpedia.orgcdn.ballotpedia.orghistory.house.govossoff.senate.govcongress.govuscode.house.govdemocrats.senate.gov
Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
Jason Esteves emphasizes lowering costs for Georgia families, expanding support for small businesses through tax credits and a proposed $1 billion low-interest loan fund, and using state resources (for example lottery reserves) to expand early learning and reduce housing costs. He criticizes incentives that favor large out-of-state corporations and calls for more subsidies and credits targeted to local businesses, but he has not published clear proposals to raise or cut specific tax rates.
Healthcare
Supports expanding Medicaid in Georgia, lowering prescription drug costs, expanding rural hospitals and clinics, and increasing resources for senior care; favors using state policy to increase insurance coverage and subsidize costs for state ACA plans.
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Immigration & Border
Supports expanding legal work authorization and protections for long-term immigrants and criticizes rhetoric that links immigration to crime; has urged federal action to grant work permits to long-term immigrants and signaled support for bipartisan immigration reform.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate supports restoring and protecting abortion access in Georgia and has pledged to repeal the state’s restrictive abortion ban and restore reproductive healthcare decision-making to patients and their doctors. He has released a maternal health plan that includes repealing Georgia’s abortion ban and expanding reproductive and maternal healthcare access.
Climate & Energy
Supports using government incentives and policies to grow Georgia’s clean energy and electric-vehicle manufacturing economy while opposing policies that would make electric vehicle ownership more expensive. Emphasizes preserving state incentive packages that attract EV and battery plants and proposes targeted economic supports to capture clean-energy jobs.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports responsible gun-ownership laws aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of criminals and young people and reducing weapons in schools and on the streets; pairs gun measures with broader public-safety approaches addressing root causes of crime. Emphasizes balancing public-safety measures with community investments to reduce poverty and violence.
News
AINews Summary
Last updatedJul 15, 2026
Jason Esteves finished second in Georgia’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, far behind Keisha Lance Bottoms, who won outright and avoided a runoff. Early results had Esteves in second place with about 16.77% of the vote, while Bottoms ultimately secured 56.22%. During the campaign, Esteves focused on abortion rights and criticized Geoff Duncan over his past support for Georgia’s 2019 abortion ban.
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Articles
UTUSA TODAY2 months ago
Primary election season isn't over yet in GA. These races go to runoff
Negative
ACAugusta Chronicle2 months ago
Bottoms wins Democratic governor primary, Republican race to runoff
Neutral
NNPR2 months ago
In Georgia, Republican primary for governor goes to a runoff : NPR
Neutral
AAL.com2 months ago
Georgia voters cast ballots in high-stakes races: GOP looks to take back Senate seat, reclaim Congress
Neutral
Polls
Georgia Democratic Governor nominee?
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
Endorsements
Georgia Democratic Governor nominee?
Endorsers of Jason Esteves for Georgia Democratic Governor nominee?
Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda Voters Guide
Advocacy group
GCV endorsed candidate Jason Esteves.
Georgia Equality
Elected official
Georgia Equality endorsed Jason Esteves for Georgia governor.
Jason Carter
Elected official
Jason Carter endorsed Jason Esteves in the Georgia governor's race.
Shanette Williams
Elected official
Shanette Williams endorsed Jason Esteves for Georgia governor.
labor unions
Elected official
Labor unions endorsed Jason Esteves in his 2026 Georgia governor campaign.
Georgia state legislators
Elected official
Groups of Georgia state legislators endorsed Jason Esteves in his 2026 Georgia governor campaign.
Atlanta City Council members
Elected official
Atlanta City Council members endorsed Jason Esteves in his 2026 Georgia governor campaign.
Atlanta school board members
Elected official
Atlanta school board members endorsed Jason Esteves in his 2026 Georgia governor campaign.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Fundraising