SAVANNAH, Ga. () — A former East Point pastor and small business owner is making his bid for Georgia’s top office.

Olu Brown has been traversing the state since making his bid, trying to reach under-served people in Georgia. 

“Because in South Georgia and Coastal Georgia, folks feel overlooked, they feel devalued, and they don’t necessarily think people are concerned about them outside of election season. So, we’re changing that,” Brown said. 

One of his key platform concerns is affordable and accessible healthcare for Georgians. He said one thing he wants to do is look into lowering the barrier of entry for Medicaid, so more Georgians have access.

“A lot of communities need mobile healthcare, but we all need in Georgia is more preventive healthcare because it’s a lot cheaper to keep you healthy than it is to take care of you when you have a chronic illness,” he told . “So, we’re going to look at all different aspects of expanding healthcare, access and affordability.”

The self-described family man also said he doesn’t think the government should have the right to tell a woman what they can, and can’t, do with their bodies. 

“I’m blessed to have two daughters…and I don’t want any person in the General Assembly in Atlanta, Georgia, telling them what to do with their bodies,” he said. “They don’t have the right. This is a democracy. This is a United States of America. We are born free, and we should live free. And as governor, I want to protect the freedoms of all people, especially the freedoms of women.”

As the son of a life-long elementary school teacher, he said Georgia needs to address educator wages. He recalled watching his mother crying with a checkbook in her hand as a child.  

“She had two degrees,” Brown told . “She had an undergraduate degree. She had a master’s degree. And she was an elementary school teacher her entire life. And she couldn’t afford to raise three kids. I never want any educator in Georgia to do what they love and not be able to afford to live. I believe if we say our children are our future and our educators are with them oftentimes more than their parents, we ought to compensate them according to their value.”

While this is his first time running for office, Brown said his experience building Impact United Methodist Church provides him with abilities other candidates don’t have. 

“I’m one of the few who has ever built something from the ground up and then scaled it to the next level,” he said. “Most of the candidates have managed things that have all we already been built. And so, when you talk about small business ownership, it’s people who go to sleep with a dream and they wake up, and they make it happen.” 

The retired pastor turned small business owner said he understands the hardships of small business ownership and thinks that the state needs a governor who will “tell Washington enough is enough” when it comes to decisions that might impact business owners.

“So, one, we’ve got to have a courageous governor who is willing to tell Washington enough is enough,” Brown said. “Secondly, we’ve got to find some creative ways to resource business owners who are experiencing higher product costs because of tariffs that are coming from Washington, that are often unnecessary and really do more harm to small businesses. We want to continue to encourage businesses from around the country and around the world, but we also want to hold those businesses accountable to say in Georgia, we’re pushing towards a living wage. It may not happen in 2027; it may not happen in 2028. But if you want to do business in Georgia, this is the vision that we have not only to be the best place to do business, but it is also the best place to work in the country.”

Watch the full interview here:

Brown will face off against some big names in the Democratic Primary including Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, Former Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, State Sen. Jason Esteves and State House member Derrick Jackson.

On the Republican ticket, General Attorney Chris Carr, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and former U.S. Army Ranger Ken Yasger will face off May 19.

You can view all candidates for Georgia’s top offices by clicking or tapping here.