By Kristy Edenfield
THE Democratic Party of Chatham County will be hosting The Georgia Democratic Gubernatorial Forum on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at Jonesville Baptist Church, 5201 Montgomery Street.
The forum starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be moderated by Greg Coy of WJCL.
This forum represents the first time Democratic gubernatorial candidates will appear together on stage during the 2026 cycle. It's designed to be a high-visibility, substantive forum focused on statewide leadership, governance, and vision.
Candidates will be asked questions on various topics, including governing under the Trump administration, housing affordability, workforce development, healthcare in Georgia, and economic growth.
Orlando Scott, Communications Chair for the Democratic Party of Chatham County is helping to organize the forum.
“I believe the 2026 gubernatorial election will be a pivotal moment in our state's political history, and it is crucial that voters engage with all candidates on the ballot," Scott says.
"As a party, we are committed to making informed decisions and encouraging civic participation. Political apathy has had negative consequences for our community, and we aim to mitigate this through proactive voter education. By doing so, we hope to foster a more informed electorate.”
All seven of the Democratic candidates for governor will be participating in the Savannah forum.
“The fact that all Democratic candidates have committed to participating demonstrates the weight of our collective voice in Coastal Georgia. With Chatham County ranking sixth in population statewide, our strong Democratic presence could prove decisive in the upcoming primary election," Scott says.
"As a significant number of the state's key political figures reside in our area, our region's impact is considerable. Through our partnership with media outlets, this forum will reach a broad audience along the coast, providing excellent visibility for all candidates.”
Candidates include Derrick Jackson, Olu Brown, Jason Esteves, Ruwa Romman, Geoff Duncan, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and Mike Thurmond.
County Commissioner Adot Whitely, Chairman of the Democratic Party of Chatham County, says, “Orlando Scott brought the idea of having a gubernatorial debate to me. I saw it as an opportunity to raise the profile of our organization while promoting civil discourse. I reached out to the heads of all of the organizations to gauge their interest, and they were all for it.”
The forum is part of a three-part series and is held in partnership with WJCL, Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Chatham County GOP, and Jonesville Baptist Church.
The Republican forum will be held in the spring and general-election gubernatorial debate in early fall.
“We hope to show that the Georgia Coast is important and that we don’t have to be in the same party to be civil with each other,” says Whitely.
"There’s so much partisan jousting taking place in our nation now and some of it is leading to violence. We want to celebrate our differences while highlighting our similarities,” he says.
Doors open at 6:00 p.m. - live stream starts at 6:30 p.m. - live broadcast on WJCL starts at 7:00 p.m. Each candidate will be allowed time for opening and closing remarks - and questions are limited to one-minute replies by each candidate.
The primary election is Tuesday, May 19th - early voting starts on April 27th.
If needed, the runoff election will take place on Tuesday, June 16th.
The general election is on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 - with early voting starting on October 13th.
