Patrick Thompson

Democrat

State Senate District 56 · Cobb County, Georgia · November 3, 2026

Also on the ballot: John Albers (Republican)

Patrick Thompson is a Cherokee County clean-energy business executive making his fourth run against John Albers for Georgia Senate District 56, after losing in 2022, 2018 (primary), and 2016. His 2026 platform centers on Medicaid expansion, public-school funding, progressive taxation, and clean-energy policy.

What this office decides

A state senator votes on Georgia's budget, state tax rates, criminal statutes and sentencing, election procedures, school funding and voucher programs, and health care policy such as Medicaid eligibility. The Senate also confirms certain appointments and shapes what authority counties and cities have. The seat covers suburban areas where state decisions on transportation, zoning authority, and school funding matter.

How this race lines up with you

Loading your answers…

Dossier

Researched 2026-09-22 · Claude Code research agent with web search

Donald Trump: nothing found. No search results or fetched pages indicated any Trump statement, endorsement, or criticism regarding this candidate in this race.

Who they are

Patrick Thompson is the 2026 Democratic candidate for Georgia Senate District 56, challenging incumbent John Albers again after losing 38.35%-61.65% in 2022; he also ran in 2016, the 2018 primary, and for the U.S. House in 2012. He is CEO of Climate Transition Corp and holds board leadership roles, including with Georgians for Affordable Energy. (Ballotpedia)

Positions

Taxes & spending: Opposed cutting taxes "without understanding budget impacts" in a surplus year; wants surplus funds redirected to healthcare/education and supports a progressive state income tax (patrickthompsonforga.com/solutions; MDJ, 2026-05-10).
Schools: Wants to "raise teacher salaries consistently" and fully fund public education, plus trades training and solar/electric-bus infrastructure at schools (patrickthompsonforga.com/solutions).
Health care: Backs Medicaid expansion to cover "small business, farmers, veterans, and the working poor"; criticizes Georgia's refusal of federal Medicaid funds (MDJ; Tribune Ledger News, 2026-04-24).
Crime & policing: No public position found on sentencing or policing; voter guide notes he raised concern about inadequate training/safety around data centers (MDJ).
Business & regulation: Wants tax breaks "clawed back to pay for services" with closer accountability monitoring (patrickthompsonforga.com/solutions).
Voting rules: No public position found in sources reviewed this session.
Guns: "Opposes gun proliferation without accountability" (MDJ).
Energy: Clean-energy entrepreneur with board leadership at Georgians for Affordable Energy, which opposes Georgia Power's "expansion of nuclear and gas energy" and "suppression of solar initiatives" (Georgians for Affordable Energy).

Record

Never held elected office; unsuccessful Democratic candidate for this seat in 2016 and 2022 (lost to Albers 38.35%-61.65%) and in the 2018 primary; also a 2012 U.S. House candidate. Professionally, CEO of Climate Transition Corp with board roles at several companies and a 20-plus-year Scoutmaster (Ballotpedia).

Money

No 2026-cycle fundraising totals, cash-on-hand, or donor data could be retrieved this session; a Blue Voter Guide endorsement page returned an access error. Check ethics.ga.gov directly for filed disclosures.

What we couldn't find

2026 campaign finance totals or donor list.
Formal group endorsements (a Democratic-aligned voter-guide/endorsement page was inaccessible this session).
Positions on voting rules, immigration, and foreign policy.
Any Trump endorsement or criticism.

Sources (7)