ATLANTA – U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath is pausing her campaign for governor, citing her husband’s health.
McBath, D-Marietta, formed an exploratory committee early this month for a potential run for governor next year. But on Monday, she released a statement announcing her husband is recovering from cancer surgery.
“I’m so grateful for everyone who has stood by my family as we undergo this arduous period,” McBath wrote in a statement. “I will be spending some time focusing on my husband’s health, and I cannot make a decision to run for governor or not at this moment.”
McBath is serving her fourth term in the House representing Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, which includes central and southern Fulton County, South Cobb, eastern Douglas, and northern Fayette counties.
She is the only Democrat who has come forward expressing an interest in succeeding term-limited Republican Gov. Brian Kemp.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr became the first Republican to enter the race when he announced his candidacy last fall. Other potential GOP candidates include Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.