ATLANTA — Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond officially launched his campaign for governor Wednesday. I n a one-on-one interview with 11Alive's Zach Merchant, Thurmond opened up about why he is running.

"This is a pivotal moment in the history of our state. As a result of the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' there's been a historic transfer of responsibility and authority to states, and I believe if we can build coalitions, if we can focus on kitchen table issues," he said.

Thurmond served eight years as DeKalb CEO before term limits forced him to leave office. He began his political career in the state legislature in 1986 and later held roles as state labor commissioner and superintendent of DeKalb County schools.

You can watch much more from his interview Sunday morning at 11 on The

See Full Page