Atlanta, May 25, 2026 — In a victory celebrated across Georgia's AAPI community, Bentley Hudgins won the Democratic primary for Georgia House District 90 by a commanding 32-point margin, defeating opponent Leisa Stafford and setting the stage for a historic November.
If elected in the November 3 general election, which is widely expected in the heavily Democratic D+90 district, Hudgins would become the first Japanese-American to serve in the Georgia state legislature, as well as the first openly nonbinary and transgender person elected to a state legislature in the Deep South.
The win came on a record-breaking night for Georgia voters, with more than one million Georgians casting early ballots this primary cycle. DeKalb County, home to District 90, recorded 18% early vote turnout, among the highest in the state.
“I believe the right to vote is sacred,” said Hudgins on election night. “We can and will build a Georgia for all of us.”
Hudgins, a human rights leader, voting rights expert, and union member with the NewsGuild-CWA, ran on a platform of expanding Medicaid, protecting communities from displacement, and strengthening workers' rights. The campaign mobilized hundreds of volunteers and contacted nearly 20,000 voters in just two months.
The race drew endorsements from the Georgia AFL-CIO, the Human Rights Campaign PAC, the LGBTQ Victory Fund, the New American Leaders Action Fund — which supports candidates with immigrant and refugee backgrounds — and numerous state and local elected officials.
District 90 covers Druid Hills, Candler Park, Lake Claire, Edgewood, East Atlanta, and surrounding neighborhoods within DeKalb County. The general election will be held November 3, 2026.
