Georgia’s race for lieutenant governor will stretch into June after primary voters in both parties failed to settle the contest for one of the state’s most powerful statewide offices.
The race will determine who succeeds Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who left the seat open by running for governor. Ten candidates entered the lieutenant governor race this year, and both primaries advanced to June 16 runoffs, according to WABE.
Former state Senate President Pro Tem John F. Kennedy led the Republican field and will face state Sen. Greg Dolezal in the runoff. Kennedy, a Macon attorney, was first elected to the state Senate in 2014 and later became the chamber’s No. 2 officer. CBS Atlanta reported Kennedy has been closely associated with legislation limiting lawsuits and civil verdicts.
Dolezal, a Cumming Republican and member of the Georgia Freedom Caucus, has built his campaign around a sharper conservative profile. CBS Atlanta noted Dolezal helped lead a state Senate investigation into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and sponsored Georgia’s Riley Gaines Act, which bans transgender students from competing in girls’ sports.
The Democratic runoff will feature state Sen. Josh McLaurin against former state Sen. Nabilah Islam Parkes. McLaurin previously served in the Georgia House before winning a state Senate seat, while Parkes resigned from the Senate after switching from the insurance commissioner race to the lieutenant governor contest shortly before qualifying closed. (RELATED: Keisha Lance Bottoms Clears Democratic Field For Georgia Governor)
The office matters beyond the ballot line. Georgia.gov describes the lieutenant governor as the state’s second-highest elected official and president of the Senate, with power to preside over debate and exercise executive powers if the governor becomes incapacitated.
The June runoffs now give voters two clear contrasts: Kennedy’s long Senate resume against Dolezal’s more combative conservative brand, and McLaurin’s legislative deal-making pitch against Parkes’ argument for taking on Republicans more directly. (RELATED: Georgia Primary Results Send Major Races To Runoffs)
