FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 07, 2026
May 07, 2026
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
[email protected]
AFGE Endorses 7 Georgia Lawmakers Ahead of Statewide Primary
Categories:
Senate, Congress, Election 2026, House
Largest federal employee union says working families can count on these lawmakers to fight for them
RIVERDALE, Ga. –– The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of seven Georgia lawmakers who are running for office during the 2026 midterm elections. The statewide primary is May 19, and the general election is Nov. 3.
The newly endorsed candidates are Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor, Shawn Harris for election to the U.S. House representing Georgia’s 14th Congressional District, and five incumbents: Sen. Jon Ossoff, and Reps. Sanford Bishop (CD-2), Hank Johnson (CD-4), Nikema Williams (CD-5), and Lucy McBath (CD-6). AFGE previously endorsed Ceretta Smith, a past president and current member of AFGE Local 2017, for election to the U.S. House representing Georgia’s 12th Congressional District.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, Governor
Keisha Lance Bottoms is a Democratic candidate running to serve as the next governor of Georgia to deliver for working families and stand up against the chaos coming from Washington.
Bottoms previously served as the 60th mayor of Atlanta, where she steered the city through a pandemic, secured major investments in affordable housing, delivered a historic pay raise for Atlanta’s first responders, supported small business and economic opportunity, and balanced the budget. Bottoms became the first mayor in Atlanta’s history to have served in all three branches of government, having previously served as a judge and a city councilmember.
Bottoms was born and raised in Georgia and traces her family’s roots back five generations to a slave plantation near Crawfordville. She was called to public service to build opportunities for working families like the ones she grew up in. She is willing to work with organized labor and be that bridge between state and federal issues by being the advocate that we need in that position.
“It is with great pleasure that AFGE endorses Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor of Georgia. She’s been a longtime advocate for working people and families— as a councilwoman, as mayor of Atlanta, and while serving in the White House. She recognizes the importance of federal workers and how attacks on us impact working families not just in Georgia but across the country,” AFGE District 5 National Vice President Tatishka Thomas said. “We appreciate her joining CDC workers in DeKalb County recently and standing up against the reckless federal cuts that have hurt Georgia workers and our economy. Keisha Lance Bottoms is the leader Georgia needs and is focused on lowering costs for working people across the state.”
Jon Ossoff, U.S. Senate
Sen. Jon Ossoff has built bipartisan relationships in the Senate to achieve meaningful legislative results for Georgia — even in a divided Congress. In his first two years in office, Sen. Ossoff passed into law more standalone bills than any other freshman senator.
Sen. Ossoff’s legislative achievements include laws to protect children online, strengthen public safety, tackle the opioid epidemic and prevent fentanyl trafficking across the southern border, investigate unsolved lynchings and civil rights murders, strengthen mental health care services for veterans, and fight corruption and improve security in U.S. prisons.
Sen. Ossoff has been a great supporter of AFGE and has a record to prove it. He has been a close friend to many of our AFGE leadership and has signed on and advocated many important issues that affect AFGE as a whole.
“Jon Ossoff has proven leadership by championing and successfully passing legislation such as prison reform, public safety and veterans affairs. We support Sen. Ossoff for not only his work but continuing allyship with AFGE,” Thomas said.
Sanford Bishop, Second Congressional District
Rep. Sanford Bishop has served on the House Appropriations Committee since 2023 and is currently a senior member of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. He also serves on the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee.
Rep. Bishop has been a close ally and friend of AFGE with a nearly perfect voting record on issues important to the union.
“Sanford Bishop has always been an advocate for worker rights and a hero for justice and organized labor. With close to a 99% voting record for AFGE, District 5 is proud to endorse Rep. Bishop for reelection,” Thomas said.
Hank Johnson, Fourth Congressional District
Rep. Hank Johnson has represented Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District since 2007, currently covering parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. Elected to his 10th term in 2024, he has earned recognition as one of Congress’s most effective Democrats, championing legislation that strengthens civil rights, consumer protections, judicial transparency and accountability, and community safety.
Since his first term, Rep. Johnson has sought to preserve the constitutional right to a trial by jury for consumers and workers by introducing the FAIR Act, which bans the enforcement of forced arbitration clauses in employment and consumer agreements. The FAIR Act passed the House twice and underscores Congressman Johnson’s commitment to ensuring a fair and level playing field between everyday Americans and wealthy, powerful and well-connected corporations.
As an incumbent and a close ally of AFGE, he has earned the support of AFGE and AFGE District 5. Johnson has been a close friend of organized labor throughout his career, specifically with AFGE, as well as maintaining close relationships with our leadership.
“Hank Johnson has had a long congressional career and track record of helping AFGE and has been a good friend to District 5. We support Rep. Johnson as he continues to fight on behalf of the working men and women of Congressional District 4 in Georgia,” Thomas said.
Nikema Williams, Fifth Congressional District
Rep. Nikema Williams was elected as the Freshman Class President for the 117th Congress, where she organized and advanced the interests of her fellow freshmen Democrats to fulfill their oath to work for the people. She currently sits on the Financial Services Committee and is a member of several caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus, Democratic Women’s Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Voting Rights Caucus, LBGTQ+ Equality Caucus, and the HBCU Caucus.
Williams has been a close friend and advocate for AFGE since she’s been in office. She has a very strong voting record supporting federal workers and has a very close relationship with AFGE leadership.
“Nikema Williams is an activist, a former union member, and community warrior for a multitude of years. She is a friend, ally, and champion for federal workers. That’s why we are happy to endorse Rep. Williams for reelection,” Thomas said.
Lucy McBath, Sixth Congressional District
Since taking her first oath of office in January of 2019, Rep. Lucy McBath has sought bipartisan solutions to end gun violence, uplift small businesses and our economy, protect and serve our nation’s veterans, and lower the cost of health care and prescription drugs.
Rep. McBath’s legislative achievements include the HAVEN Act, which protects veterans experiencing financial hardship; a bill that caps the cost of insulin for seniors on Medicare at $35 per month; and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first comprehensive gun safety legislation in over three decades. Her advocacy and her willingness to work with her colleagues for the benefit of the people of Georgia have earned her recognition as an effective lawmaker and one of the House Democratic Caucus’ most important voices.
Her continued support for AFGE and our issues, along with her cultivated relationships with our union members and elected leaders, is the reason why we are proud to endorse her for reelection.
“Lucy McBath has been a good friend and ally for AFGE and District 5. She has proven herself time and time again to be the advocate that we need. And we know that she will give us continued support,” Thomas said.
Shawn Harris, Fourteenth Congressional District
A retired U.S. Army brigadier general and cattle farmer, Shawn Harris has positioned himself as a pragmatic, bipartisan-focused contender in a heavily Republican district. Harris brings more than four decades of military service to his campaign: he enlisted in the Marine Corps, later served as an infantry commander in Afghanistan, and held senior advisory roles around the world before retiring as a general.
He earned a master’s degree in strategic studies from the Army War College and now lives with his wife on a cattle farm in Rockmart. His campaign emphasizes support for farmers, veterans, health care access, and economic affordability, along with a willingness to work across party lines. He has expressed interest in building strong and robust legislative relationships with AFGE.
“AFGE District 5 is proud to endorse Shawn Harris for Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. Having served our country for 40 years, culminating as brigadier general, Shawn knows the true meaning of service. He isn’t just running to fill a seat; he is running to protect the hard-won rights of federal employees, secure better funding for the VA, and ensure that our jobs are respected, not used as political footballs,” Thomas said.
Nearly 106,500 federal employees live in Georgia – caring for veterans, supporting the military, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time.
AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing more than 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. AFGE represents 110,000 federal employees in District 5, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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