Since no candidate won 50% of the vote in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor of Georgia, the top two vote getters — Greg Dolezal (R) and John F. Kennedy (R) — advanced to the Republican primary runoff on June 16, 2026. Ahead of the Republican primary on May 19, 2026, Dolezal, Kennedy, Steve Gooch (R), and Blake Tillery (R) led in polling and media attention ahead of the primary. Incumbent Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (R) ran for governor of Georgia rather than for another term as lieutenant governor.
While all four leading candidates were members of the Georgia Senate, they took different approaches with their campaigns.
Dolezal was first elected to represent Georgia Senate District 27 in 2018. He became chief deputy majority whip in 2019. His campaign website stated that he "stood with President [Donald] Trump when it mattered most" and "has authored some of the most conservative laws to pass the Georgia legislature.” Dolezal was one of four state senators in 2020 who called for a special session to select a separate slate of presidential electors. At the time, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) said he would not call a special session.
