ATLANTA, Ga. — Two state senators are running to become Georgia’s next lieutenant governor, a post with far more say over state law than its title suggests: Republican Greg Dolezal, whose district surrounds Cumming, and Democrat Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs.
The lieutenant governor is first in line if the governor leaves office and also presides over the state Senate. In that role, the officeholder decides which committee gets each bill, picks who chairs those committees and controls when bills reach the floor for a vote, giving the job the power to speed up or bury legislation.
To win the Republican nomination, Dolezal defeated former state Sen. John F. Kennedy. Dolezal was the first chair of the Georgia Freedom Caucus and leads the Senate Transportation Committee, and he is vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He has campaigned on school choice and the Riley Gaines Act, and he has argued for cutting income and property taxes while opposing tax breaks for data centers.
He has also drawn criticism over a campaign ad about sharia law that several lawmakers, including state Rep. Ruwa Romman, called Islamophobic.
McLaurin, an attorney, flipped a Georgia House seat in 2018 and moved to the state Senate in 2022. He represents a north Fulton County district that includes parts of Sandy Springs, Roswell, Johns Creek, Alpharetta and a slice of northeast Atlanta. He says his record of working across the aisle would make him an effective presiding officer, and he wants to expand housing and shift more of the tax burden onto the wealthiest people and companies.
During their October Atlanta Press Club debate, McLaurin cast Dolezal as an extension of President Donald Trump’s politics and called him divisive even within his own party. Dolezal pointed to Republican tax cuts that he said saved the average Georgia family about $1,700 this year.
Recent polling shows a tight contest, with Dolezal ahead by less than one point and about 6% of likely voters still undecided.
Early voting runs through Oct. 30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.
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