Bárbara Rivera Holmes is looking to defend her Commissioner of Labor position against five Democrats vying to take her post in the November election.
Holmes was originally appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp in April 2025 after the sitting commissioner died in office.
The appointment made her the first Latina to hold statewide office in Georgia. She was previously the CEO of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce.
She commemorated her official qualification for the election with an X post.
Qualifying is officially closed, and I’m proud to be the sole Republican candidate for Georgia Commissioner of Labor.
For the past year, I’ve had the honor of serving Georgians as commissioner after being appointed by Governor @BrianKempGA. In that time, we’ve driven historic… pic.twitter.com/275rwy1ifC
— Bárbara Rivera Holmes (@BRHforGeorgia) March 6, 2026
Holmes is the only Republican candidate running. However, the Democratic candidates will compete against each other for their Party's nomination in the May 19 primary.
Among the candidates is community organizer Michelle "Michi" Sanchez of Gainesville, whose campaign focuses on combatting wage theft and increasing the minimum wage.
Sanchez will compete against Office and Professional Employees International Union delegate Brett Hulme, who has vowed to ensure existing laws to prevent employee misclassification and unfair treatment of workers are enforced. He holds a number of endorsements from local labor unions with which he has worked for many years in the labor movement.
Jason Moon has also thrown his hat in the ring for the seat, listing saving Georgia's family farms as his top priority if he is elected.
U.S. Air Force Veteran and former teacher Nikki Porcher also qualified for the Democratic primary hoping to strengthen the workforce by increasing access to affordable child care.
She announced her plan to run in the election in October.
View this post on Instagram
Former Fulton County prosecutor Christian Smith announced his campaign in December. He said his inspiration for his term plans comes from Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Bold" leadership during the New Deal era.
