State Senator Greg Dolezal (R-27) secured the Republican nomination to run for Lt. Governor of Georgia and will face off against the Democratic candidate, State Senator Josh McLaurin (D-14), in November.
By how much did Sen. Dolezal win? Sen. Dolezal claimed victory after securing 54% of the vote, while Former State Senator John F. Kennedy fell behind with 46% of the vote.
What lawmakers are saying:
- Sen. Greg Dolezal on X: “Last night, I was honored and humbled to earn your support in the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor. I want to thank Senator Kennedy for a hard-fought race and his years of service to our state. We had a good conversation last night, and I appreciate his grace and friendship. Most of all, thank you to the thousands of volunteers, donors, supporters, friends, and family members who made this victory possible. This campaign has always been bigger than any one person.”
- John F. Kennedy on X: “The people of Georgia have spoken, and their decision deserves our respect. It has it — because keeping this office in Republican hands and defeating the Democrats in November is bigger than any one of us. To the volunteers who gave up their evenings and weekends, to the staff who poured their hearts into this campaign, and to the supporters who believed in this vision from day one, thank you. Words will never be enough.”
Context: The result from this most recent contest stands in contrast to that of May’s primary election. Kennedy maintained a strong lead in polling up to that point and earned 27% of the vote.
It was up to Sen. Dolezal to catch up after coming in second place with only 23% of the vote. In the runoff election, he more than made up the difference, surpassing Kennedy by an 8% margin.
In preparing for November’s general election, Sen. Dolezal will find tough competition in Sen. McLaurin, who also won his runoff election with a nine-point margin.
Sen. McLaurin will also be running as part of the larger Democratic ticket, including Senator Jon Ossoff and Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
