Georgia Republicans are not done voting for lieutenant governor just yet. In Tuesday's crowded GOP primary, no candidate cleared the 50% threshold required to win outright, so Senate President Pro Tem John F. Kennedy and state Sen. Greg Dolezal are headed to a June runoff. Kennedy finished first, Dolezal took second, and now both campaigns have a short, high-pressure sprint to lock down a powerful statewide post.
Runoff math and timing
Kennedy earned roughly 27.3% of the vote to Dolezal’s about 23.1% in the May 19 primary, according to Ballotpedia. Because Georgia requires a majority to win a primary, the two will now face each other again on a June 16 runoff ballot, a detail listed on Georgia's My Voter Page.
Who the runoff pits against each other
John F. Kennedy, a Macon attorney, served as president pro tempore of the state Senate and ran as a seasoned legislative insider. He resigned his Senate seat to focus on the campaign, GPB News reports. Greg Dolezal, who represents a Forsyth County Senate district, has positioned himself as a culture-war conservative and drew attention this spring for a controversial campaign spot. Both men now have a narrow window to persuade GOP voters that they are the one who should wield the gavel in the state Senate.
What the office controls
The lieutenant governor presides over the Georgia Senate and plays a key role in deciding which bills make it to the floor for a vote, a gatekeeping power that can shape the entire legislative agenda. The office’s website notes that the lieutenant governor also carries out executive duties assigned by the governor and tasks laid out in the state constitution, according to the official site of the Lt. Governor of Georgia.
What's next
Early in-person voting for the runoff contests is scheduled from June 8 through June 12, with Election Day on June 16, according to Georgia's My Voter Page. With such a compressed calendar, both campaigns will be leaning heavily on organization and turnout efforts rather than broad-based advertising or slow-burn name recognition.
Campaign moment
Kennedy has already taken to the airwaves. In an interview with FOX 5 Atlanta reporter Deidra Dukes, he outlined his priorities heading into the runoff, highlighting lawsuits, public safety and economic growth as central themes of his pitch to Republican voters.
