McLaurin and Parkes Advance to Runoff in Georgia Democratic Lieutenant Governor Primary

State Sen. Josh McLaurin and former state Sen. Nabilah Parkes will face each other in a June 16 runoff for the Georgia Democratic lieutenant governor nomination. Neither candidate secured over 50% of the vote in the May 19, 2026 primary. Parkes, who would be the state's first Muslim lieutenant governor if elected, made the race competitive after switching from another contest. The winner will face the Republican nominee in November.

McLaurin-Parkes Democratic runoff

• ▪State Sen. Josh McLaurin and former state Sen. Nabilah Parkes will advance to a runoff for the Georgia Democratic lieutenant governor nomination.
• ▪The runoff election between Josh McLaurin and Nabilah Parkes is scheduled for June 16, 2026.
• ▪The runoff was triggered because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the primary election on May 19, 2026.

McLaurin political background

• ▪Josh McLaurin was the roommate of now-Vice President JD Vance when both were students at Yale Law School.
• ▪During the 2025 legislative session, Josh McLaurin delivered speeches he called "Trump Morning News" that attacked the Trump administration.
• ▪Josh McLaurin, a resident of Sandy Springs, has served in the Georgia state Senate for four years and was previously elected to the Georgia House in 2018.

Parkes political background

• ▪If elected, Nabilah Parkes would become Georgia's first Muslim lieutenant governor.
• ▪While in the Senate, Nabilah Parkes served as co-chair of the Georgia Women's Legislative Caucus.
• ▪Nabilah Parkes switched from running for state insurance commissioner to the lieutenant governor's race, making the contest more competitive.
• ▪Nabilah Parkes was in her second term as a state senator before resigning to focus on the primary.

Lieutenant governor powers

• ▪Georgia's lieutenant governor presides over Senate sessions, but the senators decide how much power the official has.
• ▪The winner of the Democratic primary will likely have to work with a Republican-controlled Senate chamber.

Wright third-place finish

• ▪Richard N. Wright previously ran for mayor of Atlanta in 2021 and for the state Senate in 2024.
• ▪The third candidate, accountant and entrepreneur Richard N. Wright, did not receive enough votes to participate in the runoff.

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