ATLANTA, Ga. — Georgia’s open race for lieutenant governor pairs Democratic Sen. Josh McLaurin against Republican Sen. Greg Dolezal on the Nov. 3 ballot, with both already serving in the Senate chamber the winner will lead.
The lieutenant governor assigns bills to Senate committees and can call legislation to the floor for a vote. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is leaving the post, making the matchup one of the most consequential statewide contests on the ballot alongside races for governor, attorney general and U.S. Senate.
McLaurin, an attorney from Sandy Springs who represents a north Fulton County district, built his campaign around expanding Medicaid, repealing Georgia’s six-week abortion ban and cutting the costs of health care, housing and child care. He has also called for limits on corporate ownership of homes and zoning changes that would allow more townhouses and accessory dwelling units.
Dolezal, a Cumming businessman who represents much of Forsyth County, chairs the Senate Transportation Committee and is vice chair of the Appropriations Committee. His priorities include eliminating property taxes, expanding school choice, lowering income taxes, stricter immigration enforcement and changes to Georgia’s voting systems.
On housing, Dolezal has proposed reducing building and permitting regulations and expanding financing options for first-time homebuyers. He introduced a bill to limit large institutional investors’ ownership of single-family homes and bar international private investors from buying rental property. The bill passed the Senate but did not receive a House vote.
McLaurin previously served four years in the Georgia House before winning a Senate seat in 2022. Dolezal was first elected to the Senate in 2018 and is a partner in a technology company, according to his campaign biography. Early voting for the midterms is underway through Oct. 30.
