Several Georgia Governor candidates travel through the hostess city

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - A big election year has candidates traveling through the hostess city. Multiple democratic candidates were in town this week as they prepare for the primary.

WTOC caught up with Democrat Jason Esteves and Former Republican turned Democrat Geoff Duncan who both say that this region is crucial to the success of all Georgians.

Both candidates cited that the ports in Savannah are one of the most essential parts of Georgia’s economy. They also cited differences regarding AI and the public school system, but both of them say their biggest reason why voters should choose them.

“For me it’s about economic development,” said Esteves. “How do we bring good paying jobs and how do we develop a workforce to fill those jobs.”

“I think my ideas come as a breath of fresh air, what we’ve got to break away from is both political parties just rubber stamping ideas because they came from their party,” said Duncan.

During Georgia’s last gubernatorial election, Jason Esteves was in the state senate, while Geoff Duncan was writing a book on the post-Trump future for the Republican Party.

Now, the two are up against each other in the democratic primary where they both highlighted changes to the public school system, and what Esteves — the former chair of the Atlanta school board — calls a crisis.

“We have a literacy crisis throughout the entire state of Georgia where 70% of our kids are not reading on grade level by the time they reach 4th grade,” said Esteves. “As governor, I know what it’s gonna take to fix it. I felt that we need to do more in Atlanta public schools and we can absolutely do it when I’m governor.”

Duncan says he’s learned from his experience from both parties, and that his transition to the Democratic Party illustrates his ability to listen to the changing needs of Georgians.

“I think it speaks to the type of leader I am, I think it speaks to the type of governor I’ll be because I won’t be so dug in trying to be right in every conversation,” said Duncan. “I think I’d like to be a sponge of information and continue to surround myself with like-minded individuals.”

Esteves cited issues with Duncan’s former time as lieutenant governor

“He chose politics over the people of this state and advocated against expanding access of Medicaid,” said Esteves. “When he had the opportunity to protect the women of this state by stopping the abortion ban, he chose politics over people.”

“Abortion is a very complicated issue that everybody has their own personal opinions and I believe that as lieutenant governor that a room full of legislators knew better than a room full of women,” said Duncan. “And I think it’s important for women to be able to make that choice with their faith, with their doctors and with themselves.”

These men face 4 other candidates in the primary, which include former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms, who WTOC spoke with Thursday.

There are three candidates leading on the Republican side in public polls… current Georgia attorney general Chris Carr, Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Lance-Bottoms and Esteves both visited with Savannah’s Longshoresman Association this week.

Lance-Bottoms said in an interview that she would give the association a seat on the Georgia Building Authority, while Esteves said he would look to keep real people working on the ports, and push back on AI initiatives that include “destructive” state-funded data centers.