Decision 2026: Georgia labor commissioner candidates outline workforce priorities
Nikki Porcher and Bárbara Rivera Holmes offer different approaches to workforce development, workers’ rights and modernizing the Georgia Department of Labor.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Georgia voters will decide who leads the state Department of Labor in the November general election, with Democratic nominee Nikki Porcher challenging Republican incumbent Bárbara Rivera Holmes.
The latest Decision 2026: Georgia Votes episode examines the race and the candidates’ priorities for Georgia workers, employers and job seekers.
The Georgia Department of Labor oversees services that include unemployment insurance, employment assistance and workforce development. The commissioner helps guide the agency’s operations and its efforts to connect Georgians with jobs and training opportunities.
Meet the candidates
Nikki Porcher — Democrat
Democratic nominee Nikki Porcher is a U.S. Air Force veteran, former public school teacher, entrepreneur and nonprofit founder. She founded Buy From A Black Woman, an organization that supports Black women business owners.
Porcher says Georgia’s workforce policies should do more to support workers and families. Her priorities include expanding access to affordable child care, improving workforce training, supporting small businesses and strengthening protections for workers.
She has also emphasized building stronger connections between employers, career centers and job seekers, including people in rural and underserved communities.
Porcher argues that affordable child care is a workforce issue because it affects whether parents can accept jobs, pursue training and remain employed.
Meet the candidates
Bárbara Rivera Holmes — Republican
Republican nominee Bárbara Rivera Holmes is the incumbent commissioner, having been appointed to the position by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2025. Before joining the state agency, she led a local chamber of commerce.
Rivera Holmes has emphasized modernizing the Department of Labor, improving unemployment insurance systems and expanding workforce training. Her campaign says she wants to build on Georgia’s employment and economic growth while helping connect workers with stable, well-paying jobs.
One of her priorities is upgrading the department’s aging technology infrastructure. The state has been working to replace its legacy unemployment insurance platform with a cloud-based system intended to improve processing and the user experience.
Rivera Holmes has also defended Georgia’s business-friendly approach to economic development and its right-to-work laws, arguing that the state can continue growing its economy while supporting workers.
The candidates’ approaches reflect different views on how the state should balance business growth, worker protections and access to employment opportunities.
Porcher has called for a greater focus on workers and the challenges families face, including child care costs and access to training. Rivera Holmes has highlighted agency modernization, job growth and continuing the department’s existing reforms.
The outcome of the race will determine who leads the agency responsible for helping Georgians navigate unemployment services, find employment and access workforce resources.
Decision 2026: Georgia Votes is part of 41NBC’s election coverage, providing viewers with information about candidates and the issues shaping statewide races.
Georgia’s general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
