Their Voice, Your Vote: Jason Esteves’ core priorities in Georgia governor’s race include expanding Medicaid

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April 13th, 2026

On the left, a portrait of Jason Esteves at the WABE studio. On the right, the governor's office
Jason Esteves, an attorney and former member of the Georgia State Senate and former board chair of the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education, was a featured guest on “Closer Look’s” gubernatorial candidate series, “Their Voice, Your Vote.” (LaShawn Hudson/WABE and Georgia Office of the Governor)

Georgia — one of the original thirteen colonies and, long before that, home to Indigenous nations including the Georgia Tribe of Eastern Cherokee and the Lower Muscogee Creek Tribe — has been shaped by a complex and consequential past. Its history spans the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, and a political lineage that includes 83 official governors. Republicans have held the governor’s office for many years, with Roy Barnes serving as the most recent Democratic governor, elected in 1999.

Now, 16 candidates are competing to become the state’s next chief executive. Georgia’s primary is scheduled for May 19, and the general election will take place on November 3, 2026. As part of the “Their Voice, Your Vote” gubernatorial candidate series, “Closer Look” has invited all candidates to participate in one‑on‑one interviews.

In this installment, former Democratic state Sen. Jason Esteves shares with “Closer Look” host Rose Scott the core message he is taking to voters:

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