ATLANTA — Former Dekalb County CEO Mike Thurmond now has his sights on the governor's mansion.

The long-serving politician is the latest to enter a competitive Democratic primary field with several serious contenders but no clear frontrunner.

In an extended interview with The Georgia Vote , Thurmond described his vision for the state and why he decided to enter the race.

Excerpts of the conversation are below. The full interview is available in the video player above.

Why he's running

11Alive's Zach Merchant: Why do you want to be Georgia's next governor?

Mike Thurmond: 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 that that if we can build

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