The race for Georgia lieutenant governor is underway as all candidates vying to be second-in-command must qualify for the primary election by Friday at noon. Two Democrats and seven Republicans have thrown their hats in the ring so far.
Current Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, is running for governor, leaving the election for his seat without an incumbent. Georgia's lieutenant governor presides over the state senate and has the ability to cast a tie-breaking vote and appoint senators to chair committees in the General Assembly.
Much like the vice president of the United States, the lieutenant governor is also first in line for the governorship if the position is vacated.
Josh McLaurin, a state senator in his fourth term, and accountant Richard Wright make up the Democratic pool. They will face each other in the May 19 primary.
McLaurin is running a campaign focusing on affordability, while Wright vows to expand public programs, like Medicaid.
Although not exclusively Republican, the office of the lieutenant governor in Georgia has not been held by a Democrat since the beginning of the century, just like the governor's office.
The Republican race is much more crowded, with five current or former legislators in the running, including former Georgia Senate president pro tempore John Kennedy, who resigned from his position in the legislature in December to focus on the lieutenant governor race.
Kennedy leads the race in name recognition, which could carry a lot of weight in the Republican primary.
However, state Sen. Greg Dolezal, known for his role in a bill banning transgender athletes in certain sports, has a solid supporter base among his current constituents. Dolezal commemorated his official qualification for the race with a post on X, in which he reiterated his plan for the lieutenant governorship.
"My agenda is simple: put Georgia families first and deliver results for every family across our state," Dolezal wrote.
Other candidates to watch are state Rep. David Clark and state Sen. Blake Tillery.
Clark's campaign centers on eliminating state property and income taxes, while Tillery has prioritized lowering crime and addressing illegal immigration.
