Bruce Thompson, the Georgia Commissioner of Labor, has died from an advanced case of pancreatic cancer, an often deadly disease, a little more than nine months after publicly announcing his diagnosis. Thompson was 59.
His death was announced in a statement Sunday night on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Today we mourn the loss of a fighter, a leader and a true servant of the people,” said Louis DeBroux, the department’s chief of staff. “A visionary leader and tireless advocate for people, Commissioner Thompson dedicated his life to serving others. Commissioner Thompson’s influence will forever be felt by his family, our GDOL family and the many families he touched while traveling the state.”
Thompson, who lived in Cartersville, said in March that he had stage four pancreatic cancer, a disease that claims about 51,000 lives a year. The disease has a lower survival rate than many other cancers for which treatments have been developed, and the prognosis for late-stage disease is particularly poor. Thompson at the time said he would give the fight against the cancer everything he had.
“While we wait on a final prognosis, I can assure you I will continue to be who I have always been — a fighter,” Thompson said in a statement at the time. “From the start, my life has been full of what seemed like insurmountable challenges, but I’ve never given up and this farm boy from Montana doesn’t intend to start now.”
News of his death spread Sunday evening in calls, texts and tweets.
In statement Sunday night on X, Gov. Brian Kemp said he and his family were saddened by the news and asked Georgians to pray for Thompson’s widow, Becky, and his children.
“Bruce was a passionate voice for what he believed in throughout his years of service to the people of Georgia,” Kemp wrote. Kemp said he was “inspired by the strength and courage he showed over the past year in his fight against cancer. That bravery and determination, along with his impact on others, will not be forgotten.”
Pancreatic cancer, which is notoriously hard to detect in its early stages, involves cancer in the tissues of the pancreas, an organ that makes enzymes that help break down food into substances the body can use to make hormones. It often is diagnosed in later stages, as was Thompson’s, making it difficult to treat.
While experts say there are some symptoms to hint at the disease, like weight loss or pain in the back, they are not obviously connected to the pancreas and are often ignored or misunderstood until it is too late for successful treatment.
A U.S. Army veteran, an insurance agent and a serial entrepreneur, Thompson served a decade in the Georgia State Senate before joining a crowded field of both Republicans and Democrats in 2022 aiming to replace Mark Butler, a three-term commissioner of labor.
After a tumultuous tenure that included the unprecedented tsunami of job losses early in the pandemic, Butler had declined to pursue re-election.
Thompson won the Republican primary handily and went on to convincingly beat his Democratic opponent, State Rep. William Boddie, in the general election. He took office in early 2023.
Thompson had promised dramatic changes in the department’s administration and, in his first months in office, he reshaped the organization, streamlining middle-level staff while a number of top managers departed. In an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in early 2024, Thompson said many of those who left had been closely associated with his predecessor, and he emphasized that much of his top personnel has not changed since he took office.
In his campaign biographies, Thompson cited a number of non-profit organizations with which he had worked, including Hickory Log, a local homeless shelter; Advocates for Children, which provides services for women and children who are victims of abuse and neglect; and Goshen Valley, which offers services and counseling for foster children.
Chris Carr, Georgia’s attorney general, said in a statement on X that Thompson was “a fighter until the end,” praising his work and his character.
“Bruce was so proud to serve the people of our state and worked each day to improve the lives of all those who call Georgia home,” he wrote. “We will miss his leadership and most of all his friendship.”
Also in a statement on X, Lt. Governor Burt Jones issued a statement on Thompson’s death, recalling that they had been in the legislature together.
“I had the honor of serving in the Senate with Bruce for several years and enjoyed getting to know him. He served his constituents well,” Jones wrote. “He continued his life of public service as Georgia’s Department of Labor Commissioner, where he made significant changes to improve workforce outcomes for citizens across the state.”
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