Georgia lieutenant governor race draws crowded, high-stakes field

The lieutenant governor’s race in Georgia is the election for members of the Georgia General Assembly. 

Out of the 10 qualified candidates, six have served as state Senators and one has served as a state Representative.

Former state Sen. John Kennedy and state Sen. Nabilah Parkes both resigned from their positions to pursue the lieutenant governor seat while the others remained in office.

Parkes was a latecomer to the race switching from running for Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner. She entered after state Sen. Greg Dolezal, who is also running for lieutenant governor, released a campaign ad that depicted Muslims terrorizing White Georgia residents.

The ad ended with the message: “Keep Georgia sharia free.” Shariah is the body of Islamic religious law.

Parkes, the first Muslim woman to enter the state Senate, told Atlanta News First that she ran in part to ensure Dolezal doesn’t get the seat.

“This man is a front runner. He cannot be the next lieutenant governor, so I decided to step up and take on the challenge and fight these Republicans headon because we need a Georgia that is positive. We need a Georgia that is unifying, not these discriminatory attacks,” she said.

The lieutenant governor is one of the most powerful positions in the state presiding over the state Senate and controlling committee assignments and legislation flows.

Here are the candidates on the Democratic ticket:

• Josh McLaurin, attorney and state Senator for District 14
• Nabilah Parkes, attorney and former state Senator for District 7
• Richard N. Wright, a certified public accountant

Here are the candidates on the Republican ticket:

• Brenda Lynn Nelson-Porter, research scholar
• David Timothy Clark, businessman and state Representative for District 100
• Gregory Robert Dolezal, business owner and state Senator for District 27
• John Flanders Kennedy, attorney and former state Senator for District 18
• Michael Blake Tillery, attorney and state Senator for District 19
• Steve Gooch, business owner and state Senator for District 51
• Takosha Misheal Swan, small business owner