Michael Thurmond to make Senate run against Johnny Isakson
State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, a Democrat, on Tuesday will announce his entrance into the U.S. Senate race against Republican Johnny Isakson.
Thurmond, one two remaining Democrats holding statewide office, had been spoken of as a candidate for lieutenant governor.
But many Democrats had expressed concern that a strong bid for governor could be affected by the lack of a strong candidate at the top of the ticket running against Isakson.
The entry of Thurmond, who is in charge of unemployment benefits for tens of thousands of Georgians looking for work, guarantees that the U.S. Senate race will carry a heavy emphasis on the economy.
R.J. Hadley, a novice candidate from Rockdale County, is currently the only announced Democrat.
We’re told that the courting of Thurmond by Democrats in Washington stepped up with Isakson’s recent back-to-back hospitalizations.
Isakson, 65, was hospitalized first for a bacterial infection, then for a potential blood clot in a leg. The senator says he now feels great, and is back to work.
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
134 comments Add your comment
howard
April 16th, 2010
9:23 pm
Thurmond has my support as of right now…Isakson has been a great disappoint as a yes man for the Republican Party and our other right wing Senator
Brenda
April 16th, 2010
9:36 pm
Thurmond would probably never get my support. If there is a decent conservative, socially & fiscally, running against Isakson, he won’t get my vote. I held my nose to vote for Chambliss.
Air force one
April 17th, 2010
1:17 am
I keep telling you folks to go and do some research. Just because you are out of school doesn’t mean you stop educating yourself. Thurmond was the guy who put wefare folks back to work with implementation of welfare to work. Under his leadership as labor commish he has transformed the unemployment office into career centers. He’s the guy that has a plan to get people back to work with Georgia Works. We need balance in this state. And, finally folks he was with Hillary Clinton not Obama until Clinton dropped out of race. I know because I supported Obama. He is an independent democrat and always have been. Now, go do some reading–cause I am all caught on my reading assignment. Don’t bother posting sonething crazy challenging my post because I don’t live in Your god forsaken state.
Aaron Burr V. Mexico
April 17th, 2010
1:30 am
Libs like me like to post stuff that goes against my original postings. You see, I;m a big pinko commie lib and I do it for the attention. Of course I know that it is the left that is racist. If we on the left allowed Afican-Americans to leave the democrat plantation, then we would loose every election we contest. It is funny that decade after decade we are abel to fool that community while they see no progress. Hell is going to be hot for an awful lot of us race-baiters on the left. But we don’t believe in the afterlife… so no harm, no foul. Off to do my night reading of Rules for Radicals and then I tomorrow I am going to dress up like a normal Amercian and pretend to be a Teap Party protester and fly my racist flag. The media and folks like Jumbo G will love it. I may even get interviewed by the Urinal Constipation!!
Chris Mathews is covered in his own spittle because he is drinking, again, and becacuse he is a racist.
April 17th, 2010
1:35 am
Check out this democrat racist. I think he was super drunk. En Vino Veritas!
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/01/27/msnbcs_matthews_on_obama_i_forgot_he_was_black_tonight.html
and this reporterette getting on in the race baiting action (Both work for liberal PMSNBC)
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2010/04/16/nbc_reporter_to_black_man_at_tea_party_have_you_ever_felt_uncomfortable.html
LIBERALS ARE THE RACISTS!!!!!!
DirtyDawg
April 17th, 2010
3:34 am
I think Johnny will indeed be vulnerable this year, IF, Thurmond goes after him on the basis of just how much Johnny has compromised, hell, abandoned, the principles that he once stood for when he was the one Republican in Georgia that thought for himself and put the ‘people’ first instead of Party. He was routinely appointed to positions of leadership by Democratic Governors and performed admirably…then ‘Mr. Isakson Went to Washington’ and everything changed, and I don’t mean for the better. Tell us Johnny, was it for the money? Were you or your family threatened by the Repub Party leadership? What?
I know there will be plenty of examples that Thurmond’s campaign will be able to call on to show that Johnny truly sold his soul – probably got a good price for it, but sold it none-the-less. As someone that followed Johnny’s political career with interest and admiration, I was a genuine ‘YellowDog for Isakson’, but since getting a whiff of the money as an elected official in DC, he has disappointed me in the extreme.
Frankly I wish that it would have been Chambliss that we could ‘gut’ in this year’s election, but we missed our chance at that, so I’m afraid it’ll have to be Isakson. Thurmond and Roy should ally themselves in a ‘one-two’ effort to try and save Georgia from her current ‘death-spiral’ of following Republican deceit, lies and self-destruction. The one thing I’d like to hear Johnny’s response to is ‘Johnny, do you think Richard Hamilton would be proud of the politician, and man, that you’ve become since going to Washington?’…Richard was about as fine a man as anybody that knew him could ever have hoped to know, and someone that Johnny Isakson dearly loved and respected. He’s gone from us now, but I sincerely believe that if there’s an once of anything left of the Johnny Isakson that Richard knew and loved, he, Johnny, couldn’t answer that without hanging his head in shame.
Bubba
April 17th, 2010
6:39 am
Strom’s son?
IndependentGuy
April 17th, 2010
8:39 am
Labor Commissioner does little more than dole out federal and state unemployment money and oversee a job posting board – he’s never created a single job. Thurmond is a nice guy but I hope he doesn’t run on a false record of accomplishment. There’s not much there.
Billy B
April 17th, 2010
10:07 am
Harry Reid who trails by double digits in the polls plans to raise $25 million in lobbist money and “utterly demonize” his republican opponent.He promises a full out attack with no holds barred. Guess we know the democrat paybook when they hold power.
I suppose calling suppoters of your opponent racist is part of the drill. Assuming racism in others is just a sign of your own race hatred. Good luck with that.
Mike Klein
April 17th, 2010
10:11 am
Additional perspective on this race at MkeKleinOnline.Com
Morrus
April 17th, 2010
10:14 am
Vote out the incumbents and start over
Michael Thurmond to make Senate run against Johnny Isakson « Paola comenta
April 17th, 2010
10:33 am
[...] Source:http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2010/04/16/michael-thurmond-courted-for-u-s-sena… [...]
Tom
April 17th, 2010
10:48 am
The sad thing is we’re destined for the return of the incumbent in most political races…. no matter what. Dem or Repub, our politicians need a dose of reality. The Dems may have gone too far with healthcare, but the Repubs refusal to participate at all hampered meaningful repair of a system that will possibly bankrupt the nation. Pity we can’t get some reasonable people in DC, present a problem to them, and let them work out a solution – without lobbyist interference!!
Yelling, screaming and demonstrations by fringe groups that present themselves as mainstream doesn’t help at all. Unfortunately, it takes printing bucks to pull a nation out recession – tax cuts (unfortunately) don’t do the job on that (see the history of US economy, and other economies on that one…. tax cutting out of a recession sounds good, tastes good, but doesn’t work.)
So until our politicians get of their fat, pampered rear ends – we’re stuck in political head-butting with little chance of any real reform. The ONLY way to get them off their respective butts, is vote them all out – ALL out …. (yeah, even the republicans….) Start in the primaries, and work from there…
Alan from south ga
April 17th, 2010
10:52 am
Thurmond -53% isakson- 44%- donovan 3%. jobs, economy and fiscal matters will dominate the race. as a member of the valdosta tea party thurmond will do very well against mr. money bags isakson.
isakson is one of the reasons our debt and deficit is out of control when voted for bush’s expansion of gov’t and spending money we didn’t have. with the state republicans afraid to mount a challenge to isakson i will be voting for mr. thurmond who has been good to working families and businesses alike with tax cuts he made as state rep and now labor commissioner.
Brian
April 17th, 2010
11:16 am
The Georgia Department of Labor is a typical dysfunctional government agency, where you get 3 different stories with 3 different people if you go on 3 different days. Theire web site processes dont match their representatives understanding of the benefits, and their training doesnt hide the problems well. Thurmond is the last guy needed to fix things with the Clown Car Congress.
mike
April 17th, 2010
11:17 am
i think what its going to come down to is the social media and who ever can campaigning the best at the end of the day it will come to that that what i believe candidates need to make there message on youtube and go across the state talking about georgia issue i don’t want to here about obama i want to here how you going to bring job to the state
Shawn
April 17th, 2010
2:08 pm
Thurmond is a dead end street. Can you name one real qualification to be a senator? Why is he even running?
The General
April 17th, 2010
6:39 pm
Congratulations to Melvin Everson, our soon-to-be Labor Commissioner.
Gerald
April 17th, 2010
6:44 pm
Michael Thurmond is the best Labor Commissioner this state has ever had. Hopefully he can unseat Isakson. All of the bloggers on here trashing MT are truly clueless.
Gemstone
April 17th, 2010
9:04 pm
Thurmand did a great job at Department of Family and Children Services…welfare-to-work, he is an EXCELLENT Commissioner of Labor and is the leader for bringing jobs back to Georgia. T
DirtyDawg
April 18th, 2010
9:58 am
The more I think about it the more I’m thinking that Johnny just may decide not to run this time out. I mean his health ain’t what it used to be, he’s bound to have made enough money to last him, his kids, and his kids’ kids, a lifetime and, after all, anybody could go up there and do what he and the rest of the the Repug Party does – vote how they tell ‘em to. Just how proud could a once proud man be for simply ‘following orders’?
In my heart I believe that Johnny still has some glimmer of self-respect remaining and it’s that last bit of who he once was that’ll tell himself to ‘get the hell out’. Then we’ll all wait for the book that tells the real story of the deceit and lies that is Washington politics…a book that he’ll dedicate to a young, wheel-chair bound, man whose respect Johnny once had and, if her were still with us, would like to be worthy of again.
Isakson Gains a Challenger « The Dailey Report
April 18th, 2010
10:55 am
[...] to Jim Galloway of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond has chosen to run against Senator Johnny Isakson. [...]
OBA
April 19th, 2010
4:49 am
Kay, Thurman is the Labor Commissioner (Not Atty. Gen.) so he can not bring a lawsuit against the feds on healthcare legislation. Thurbert Baker is The Atty Gen. and is he that will not bring a lawsuit against the Feds on the Health Care Bill. Oh yes Kay he is running for Governor! I don’t know how long you have been following Ga. politics, but I thought I would just help you out on your knowledge of Ga. Government. I hope you don’t take it personal, OK.
What Matters Today Blog » Blog Archive » Very good news for Democrats in Georgia
April 21st, 2010
12:54 pm
[...] Galloway of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond will enter the US Senate race against Johnny Isakson on [...]
Convention speaker officially announces U.S. candidacy « Crossroads
April 22nd, 2010
1:25 am
[...] 22, 2010 · Leave a Comment In an interesting (though, expected) follow-up to my Young Democrats Convention outing, Commissioner Michael Thurmond, who spoke at the [...]
Linda
April 22nd, 2010
12:53 pm
As a former employee with GDOL, I can say that Michael Thurmond’s leadership or lack thereof sucks. He started out as a good Comissioner but like all politician – he’s been in politics too long and he no longer really cares. The GDOL is a mess, especially Appeals. I was shocked at the chaos. You better think hard before electing any of these politicians. It’s all about their images and their egos.
Annie, Atlanta
April 23rd, 2010
12:04 pm
I asked Senator Isakson, last Fall, to please participate in health care reform because we desperately needed it. He responded by telling me that he would not vote for any type of reform because he had to protect the profits of the insurance companies (I’m not kidding). I wrote back asking “what about us, your constituents,” and heard nothing. He needs to go.
Astralius
April 25th, 2010
10:39 am
Michael Thurmond is a joke, I just had a case put through the Superior Court vs Michael Thurmond, The Department of Labor and Tucker Door and Trim. I was let go from my job without any write ups and was denied my unemployment, I appealed my case with a judge and won due to no evidence against me. They appealed that decision to the Board of Reviews and without any evidence against me, they cut off my unemployment and told me I had to pay it all back. I put a petition through to Superior court and the Judge sided with Michael Thurmond based on nothing against me. Georgia is ran by a bunch of corupt officials!!!
Isakson will be getting my vote regardless!
Jeannine D
May 21st, 2010
2:47 pm
First of all I would never vote for Michael Thurmond, he is a crook, he cannot run the Ga Dept of Labor fairly. When you get a job, he makes you pay back the money you receive while on unemployment. When you try to fight in court, you go in front of a crooked judge (Judge Cornwell Habersham County) just incase anyone out there would like to see exactly what kind of judges back Michael Thurmond up. As far as Johnny Isakson goes, I would never vote for him either. When I tried to contact him about the unemployment issue that was injustified, he basically LAUGHED IN OUR FACES. Does anyone really want these two crooks running our government? They will burn you in the end I promise. They did us!!!!!
Why do you have to pay back any unemployment benefits you receive when you get a job BECAUSE GA IS BROKE. THANKS MICHAEL AND JOHNNY- GOOD ONE>……
Jeannine D
May 21st, 2010
4:02 pm
Lets see here, where is Michael Thurmond’s campaign money coming from, could it be from all the people who have to pay back unemployment benefits that they rightfully collected????? JUST A THOUGHT….
Johnny where is your campaign money coming from…… THINK ABOUT IT PEOPLE before you vote for either one.
Allen Russell
May 26th, 2010
5:43 pm
This afternoon I went to Michael Thurmond’s office to make an appointment to see him. The secretary called security and I was escorted out of the building! I will be working very hard for Senator Isakson.
Matt
June 11th, 2010
3:55 am
Thurmond definatly deserves the seat. Especially after both Chambliss and Isakson just voted “yea” on the Dirty Air Act bill…thankfully it didn’t pass…but do we really want these people over Georgia?
sadie
June 30th, 2010
8:26 pm
US Senate is a prestigious high office of politicking where major corporations including banks as they are major corps use these elected officials as their chess pieces to do their dirty bidding to win favor inside the US govt to misrepresent the masses. Very few US Senators have true Godly integrity, most of those guys are dead and gone along with the hellions who stirred up divide in the country. This office could be an effective one if truly the elected men/women let God’s Holy Spirit lead them instead of the mean green dollar, the love of money makes them victims to sin not victorious to their constituents. Yet people feet powerless to keep resending the same type of personality to do them injustice over and over. One day perhaps God’s Holy Spirit will take away blinders from the eyes and minds of those who vote to promote cynicism, to continue oppress those who honestly need help. May the best candidate who will service the people over entire state win this campaign. It’s going to take a lot of work to bring integrity to this office. We must begin to elect based upon merit not biasly.
Unnamed
August 2nd, 2010
12:53 pm
If this is the same Michael Thurmond who own the Six Week Body Makeover, DO NOT TRUST HIM!!! His company embezzled over $300.00 from my bank account, even though I have a cancellation number within the allotted time. When I tried to get the money back, I was told since I had authorized it, I could not get my money back. The only thing that got slimmer was my bank account. Mr. Thurmonds’ bank account is getting fatter. What’s worse is he actually took money from my children, and my husband, who is a disabled veteran!! Do not trust this man, please!! If he allows dishonesty in his business, he won’t be any better in politics!!!!!!!!!!