2026 Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election
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November 3, 2026
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| Elections in Georgia |
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The 2026 Georgia lieutenant gubernatorial election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect the lieutenant governor of Georgia. Republican incumbent Burt Jones declined to seek a second term, and unsuccessfully ran for governor.
Republican primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Greg Dolezal, state senator from the 27th district (2019–present)[1]
Eliminated in runoff
[edit]- John F. Kennedy, president pro tempore of the Georgia State Senate (2023–2025) from the 18th district (2015–2025)[2] (no relation to President John F. Kennedy)
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- David Clark, state representative from the 100th district (2015–present)[3]
- Steve Gooch, majority leader of the Georgia State Senate (2023–2025) from the 51st district (2011–present)[4]
- Brenda Nelson-Porter, researcher and U.S. Marine[5]
- Takosha Swan, small business owner[6]
- Blake Tillery, state senator from the 19th district (2017–present)[4]
Declined
[edit]- Burt Jones, incumbent lieutenant governor (2023–present) (running for governor)[7]
Endorsements
[edit]Blake Tillery
- Local officials
- 62 county sheriffs[8]
Fundraising
[edit]Italics indicate a candidate that has either withdrawn from the race, declined to run, or been eliminated in the primary.
| Campaign finance reports as of June 30, 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Steve Gooch (R) | $1,035,638 | $18,443 | $1,017,194 |
| John F. Kennedy (R) | $813,349 | $3,574 | $809,775 |
| Blake Tillery (R) | $759,190 | $10,983 | $748,206 |
| Source: Georgia Campaign Finance Commission[9] | |||
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
David Clark |
Greg Dolezal |
Steve Gooch |
John F. Kennedy |
Blake Tillery |
Brenda Nelson-Porter |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantus Insights (R)[10] | October 13–14, 2025 | 900 (RV) | ± 3.2% | 4% | 6% | 6% | 7% | 5% | – | 72% |
| yes. every kid. (D)[11] | July 22–23, 2025 | 608 (LV) | ± 3.97% | 2% | 3% | 4% | 20% | 5% | 2% | 65% |
Results
[edit]
Kennedy
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Dolezal
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
Tillery
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Clark
- 20–30%
Gooch
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John F. Kennedy | 242,708 | 27.3 | |
| Republican | Greg Dolezal | 205,454 | 23.1 | |
| Republican | Blake Tillery | 169,703 | 19.1 | |
| Republican | David Clark | 140,414 | 15.8 | |
| Republican | Steve Gooch | 103,621 | 11.7 | |
| Republican | Brenda Nelson-Porter | 17,146 | 1.9 | |
| Republican | Takosha Swan | 10,053 | 1.1 | |
| Total votes | 889,099 | 100.0 | ||
Runoff
[edit]Results
[edit]
Dolezal
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Kennedy
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Greg Dolezal | 375,012 | 54.2 | |
| Republican | John F. Kennedy | 316,900 | 45.8 | |
| Total votes | 691,912 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Nominee
[edit]- Josh McLaurin, state senator from the 14th district (2023–present)[12]
Eliminated in runoff
[edit]- Nabilah Parkes, state senator from the 7th district (2023–2026) and candidate for Georgia’s 7th congressional district in 2020 (previously ran for insurance commissioner)[13]
Eliminated in primary
[edit]- Richard Wright, accountant[14]
Withdrawn
[edit]Endorsements
[edit]Josh McLaurin
- State legislators
- Stacey Abrams, former state representative from the 84th and 89th districts (2007–2017)[16]
- Segun Adeyina, state representative from the 110th district (2023–present)[17]
- Arlene Beckles, state representative from the 96th district (2025–present)[17]
- Scott Holcomb, state representative from the 101st district (2025–present) and 81st district (2011–2025)[18]
- Shelly Hutchinson, former state representative from the 106th district (2023–2025) and 107th district (2019-2025)[17]
- Dar'shun Kendrick, state representative from the 95th district (2023–present), 93rd district (2013-2023), and 94th district (2011-2013)[17]
- Marvin Lim, state representative from the 98th district (2023–present) and 99th district (2021-2023)[17]
- Dewey McClain, state representative from the 109th district (2023–present) and 100th district (2013-2023)[17]
- Nikki Merritt, state senator from the 9th district (2021–present)[17]
- Billy Mitchell, state representative from the 88th district (2005–present) and 61st district (2003-2005)[17]
- Elena Parent, state senator from the 44th district (2025–present) and 42nd district (2015–2025)[18]
- Sam Park, state representative from the 107th district (2023–present) and 101st district (2017–present)[17]
- Gabe Okoye, state representative from the 102nd district (2023–present)[17]
- Sheikh Rahman, state senator from the 5th district (2019–present)[17]
- Ruwa Romman, state representative from the 97th district (2023–present)[18]
- Anne Allen Westbrook, state representative from the 163rd district (2023–present)[19]
- Local officials
- Organizations
- Fair Fight Action (endorsed in runoff)[21]
- Georgia AFL-CIO[22]
Nabilah Parkes
- U.S. representatives
- Hank Johnson, GA-4 (2007–present)[23]
- Local officials
- Fani Willis, Fulton County District Attorney (2021–present)[24]
- Shirley Franklin, former mayor of Atlanta (2002–2010)[23]
- Ted Terry, DeKalb County Commissioner (2021–present)[23]
- Organizations
Seth Clark (withdrawn)
- State legislators
- Stacey Evans, state representative from the 57th district (2021–present)[25]
- Tangie Herring, state representative from the 145th district (2025–present)[25]
- Local officials
- Kelly Girtz, mayor of Athens (2019–present)[25]
Fundraising
[edit]| Campaign finance reports as of June 30, 2025 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Josh McLaurin (D) | $117,611 | $7,233 | $110,377 |
| Source: Georgia Campaign Finance Commission[26] | |||
Results
[edit]
McLaurin
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Parkes
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
Wright
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh McLaurin | 426,745 | 41.4 | |
| Democratic | Nabilah Parkes | 407,199 | 39.5 | |
| Democratic | Richard Wright | 196,646 | 19.1 | |
| Total votes | 1,030,590 | 100.0 | ||
Runoff
[edit]Results
[edit]
McLaurin
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Parkes
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Tie
- 50–60%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Josh McLaurin | 210,842 | 54.9 | |
| Democratic | Nabilah Parkes | 173,370 | 45.1 | |
| Total votes | 384,212 | 100.0 | ||
General election
[edit]Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Greg Dolezal (R) |
Josh McLaurin (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Navigate[27] | July 10–13, 2026 | 448 (LV) | ± 4.6% | 44%[b] | 48% | 9% |
| 39% | 43% | 18% |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "Republican State Sen. Greg Dolezal enters Georgia's lieutenant governor race". WABE. September 30, 2025. Retrieved September 30, 2025.
- ↑ Amy, Jeff (June 2, 2025). "John Kennedy, Georgia's top Senate Republican, joins race for lieutenant governor". Associated Press. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
- ↑ "Republican state Rep. David Clark joins growing race for lieutenant governor". WXIA-TV. August 13, 2025. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- 1 2 Prabhu, Maya (May 15, 2025). "Georgia Senate Republican leader launches campaign for lieutenant governor". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
- ↑ "A Vote for Kamala (November 3, 2024): Georgia Nonpartisan Plans to Enter Race for Lt. Governor of The State of Georgia Announced". Social Media X Space. Retrieved November 4, 2024.
- ↑ Tagami, Ty (June 2, 2025). "More candidates announce plans to run for Georgia Lieutenant Governor seat". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ↑ Darnell, Tim (July 8, 2025). "Lt. Gov. Burt Jones announces long-anticipated bid for governor". WANF. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
- ↑ Fargason, Patrick (October 18, 2025). "Tillery touts tax cuts, Georgia values in Habersham campaign stop". Now Habersham. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- ↑ "Search for Candidates/Campaign Committees". Georgia Campaign Finance Commission.
- ↑ "Quantus Georgia Poll: The Base is Listening, Not Following". Quantus Insights. October 15, 2025. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ↑ "Georgia GOP Voters Put Education Freedom Front and Center" (PDF). yes. every kid. Foundation. September 18, 2025. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
- ↑ Amy, Jeff (May 5, 2025). "Democrat Josh McLaurin announces run for Georgia lieutenant governor in 2026". Associated Press. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
- ↑ Bluestein, Greg (March 5, 2026). "In a surprise move, Nabilah Parkes jumps into lieutenant governor's race". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Enterprises. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
- ↑ Neely, Clay (September 18, 2025). "Tillery visits NTH, outlines bid for lieutenant governor". The Newnan Times-Herald. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ↑ Lonnroth, Lars (February 27, 2026). "Ex-Bibb commissioner Seth Clark drops Democratic bid for lieutenant governor, ending short-lived campaign". WMAZ. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
- ↑ Jackson, Reeves (May 26, 2026). "Chris Carr endorses Rick Jackson for governor over Burt Jones; Stacey Abrams makes own endorsement". 11 Alive. Retrieved May 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Yeomans, Curt (May 13, 2026). "AROUND TOWN: Many of Gwinnett's Democrat lawmakers support McLaurin, not Parkes, in LG's race". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Dunlap, Stanley (May 5, 2025). "Georgia state Sen. Josh McLaurin enters race for lieutenant governor • Georgia Recorder". Georgia Recorder. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- ↑ Payne, Benjamin (May 6, 2025). "Democrat Josh McLaurin launches lieutenant governor bid, condemns tariffs near Savannah port". Georgia Public Broadcasting. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
- 1 2 Nolin, Jill; Rocha, Alander (May 9, 2026). "Campaigns enter homestretch as Trump, Obama try to whip up support for Georgia candidates". Georgia Recorder. Retrieved May 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Endorsements". Fair Fight Action. Retrieved May 24, 2026.
- ↑ Williams, Ross; Nolin, Jill; Alander, Rocha (April 25, 2026). "Georgia Dems push for '28 national convention, Ossoff tries to tamp down presidential talk and more". Georgia Recorder. Retrieved April 25, 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Georgia lieutenant governor runoff: Nabilah Parkes faces Josh McLaurin". FOX 5 Atlanta. May 29, 2026. Retrieved June 13, 2026.
- ↑ Williams, Ross (May 2, 2026). "Roundup: Kemp rejects calls to redraw this year's political maps, early voting surge, endorsements". The Current. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Kincaid, Leah (January 12, 2026). "Former Macon mayor pro tem, commissioner Seth Clark announces run for lieutenant governor". WGXA. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
- ↑ "Search for Candidates/Campaign Committees". Georgia Campaign Finance Commission.
- ↑ The Polling Team (July 17, 2026). "State Navigate Poll Shows Lance Bottoms With 7-Point Lead in Georgia Governor Race". State Navigate. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
External links
[edit]Official campaign websites
