Mike Thurmond

Thurmond was raised as a sharecropper's son in Clarke County, Georgia. He graduated cum laude with a B.A. in philosophy and religion from Paine College and later earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law. He also completed the Political Executives program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. == Political career ==

In 1986, he became the first African-American elected to the Georgia General Assembly from Clarke County since Reconstruction. In 2016, Thurmond decided to run for the open DeKalb County C.E.O.'s office being vacated by term-limited incumbent Democrat Burrell Ellis. He won overwhelmingly in the Democratic Primary, and went on to win by a significant margin over his Republican opponent in the November 2016 general election. Thurmond began his four-year term on January 1, 2017. He is the recipient of two honorary doctorate degrees from Clark Atlanta University and LaGrange College. He serves on the Board of Curators of the Georgia Historical Society. ==U.S. Senate campaign==

In April 2010, Thurmond announced his intention to run for the United States Senate, challenging incumbent Republican Johnny Isakson. He easily defeated his opponent in the Democratic primary, county employee RJ Hadley, on July 20. He lost the general election to Isakson, receiving 39% of the vote, and was succeeded as Commissioner of Labor by former state representative Mark Butler, a member of the Republican Party. == Gubernatorial campaign ==

In August 2025, Thurmond announced a campaign for Governor of Georgia in the 2026 election. ==Publications==

Thurmond's book, ''Freedom: Georgia's Antislavery Heritage, 1733-1865,'' was awarded the Georgia Historical Society's Lilla Hawes Award. The Georgia Center for the Book listed Freedom on its 2005 list of The 25 Books All Georgians Should Read. ==Personal life==

He is married to Zola Fletcher Thurmond, and they have one daughter, Mikaya Thurmond. == See also ==