How should Georgia Democrats deal with sensitive topics like transgender rights and diversity, equity and inclusion?
Georgia Democrats are thinking about the path forward as they look ahead to the 2026 midterms, hoping that discontent with President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans will help propel Sen. Jon Ossoff back to Washington and launch a Democrat into the governor’s office for the first time since Roy Barnes served more than 20 years ago.
Other top executive offices like lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state will also be up for grabs, as will 236 seats up and down the state legislature.
A handful of Georgia Democratic leaders, including at least one candidate for governor, talked strategy Monday and Tuesday at the 2025 NewDeal Ideas Summit in Atlanta, a conference for center-left Democrats at the state and local level from around the country.
On Tuesday, Atlanta Democratic Sen. Jason Esteves introduced Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at Third Way, a center-left think tank, for a presentation called “How Democrats Lost the Middle.”