by Ty Tagami | Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA — Georgia Democrats are losing a member of the state Senate as he gears up his campaign for next year’s Democratic primary for governor.
Sen. Jason Esteves, D-Atlanta, said Wednesday that he is resigning from the Senate “because the best way I can serve the people of Georgia is by putting my whole heart into this campaign.”
The former Atlanta school board member is contesting two prominent Democrats for the party nomination.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is running, as is former Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, a former state lawmaker who served as the appointed school superintendent for DeKalb County in the 2010s and then as the elected CEO of DeKalb.
Senate Democrats issued a statement praising Esteves’ efforts during three legislative sessions, saying he worked to expand access to health care, invest in public schools, and reduce the cost of housing for seniors.
Esteves’ campaign touted his involvement in legislation that will save Atlanta seniors $1,000 on their annual taxes, in passage of a constitutional amendment to cap increases in home values and in the defeat of the Buckhead City movement.
Whoever emerges from the Democratic primary will face the winner of the Republican nomination.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is campaigning in the GOP primary against state Attorney General Chris Carr.
