ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia state Rep. Derrick Jackson announced Tuesday that he will run for governor in 2026, adding his name to an increasingly competitive Democratic primary field in a race without a clear frontrunner.

Jackson, a Democrat from metro Atlanta, said he will formally launch his campaign on Friday, highlighting his background in the military, business, and state politics. A 22-year U.S. Navy veteran and former marketing executive with General Electric, Jackson has represented parts of south Fulton County in the Georgia House of Representatives since 2016.

“I’m going to campaign on making Georgia the number one place to work, to play, to have a family, and for young professionals to realize that regardless of which of the 159 counties they live in, there’s going to be opportunity there,” Jackson said in an interview with the Associated Press.

Jackson joins former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves of Atlanta, and Atlanta pastor Olu Brown in the Democratic race to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. High-profile Democrats Stacey Abrams and U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath had long been seen as potential frontrunners, but neither has entered the race. McBath bowed out in March, citing the need to care for her husband following cancer-related complications. Abrams has not ruled out a third run.

As part of his platform, Jackson said he will prioritize expanding access to medical care and economic development in rural communities. He has also voiced strong support for repealing Georgia’s restrictive 2022 abortion law and enacting tougher gun safety measures.

“My Republican friends love to tout Georgia as the number one state to do business,” Jackson said, “but we need to be the number one state for families, workers, and communities.”

Jackson is no stranger to statewide campaigning. In 2022, he finished sixth in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. Following the death of Rep. Tish Naghise, he returned to the state House in 2023, only to lose a bid for House minority leader later that year. Despite past setbacks, Jackson said those experiences have prepared him for this race.

A longtime admirer of civil rights leader John Lewis, Jackson said he feels a “moral obligation” to run, particularly in light of what he called unjust state and federal policies. He pointed to proposals tied to former President Donald Trump that he said could slash Medicaid funding and “devastate a lot of families.”

Republican Attorney General Chris Carr has already declared his candidacy for governor, becoming the first major GOP figure to enter the race. With the incumbent governor stepping aside, both parties are bracing for a high-stakes, wide-open battle for Georgia’s top office in 2026.