Take two: These Democratic, Republican statewide races are headed to June runoffs

by Maya Homan, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission]

May 22, 2026

Tuesday’s election has come and gone, but the race isn’t over yet for many candidates seeking statewide office.

Under Georgia law, candidates must secure a majority of votes, not just a plurality, in order to be elected. And while a number of candidates claimed decisive victories this week, many others failed to clear the 50% threshold needed to avoid a runoff. 

The runoffs will be held June 16, with at least one week of early voting. Voters who selected one party’s ballot in the May primary election will have to stick with that party for the runoff, but anyone who did not vote in the primary can pick the runoff ballot of their choice. Voters who selected a nonpartisan ballot in the primary can also choose which runoff they would like to vote in.

On the Republican ballot, two top-of-the-ticket races for U.S. Senate and governor will likely dominate the runoff season, but voters will also get a chance to weigh in on a number of candidates, such as the incumbent state school superintendent and a challenger who is calling for change. 

On the Democratic side, the top races are already settled after former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms won the nomination for governor outright, but several crowded down-ballot contests have not yet been decided.

Here’s a look at some of the statewide candidates headed to a runoff.

Lieutenant governor

Both Republican and Democratic voters will be returning to the polls in June to select their nominees for lieutenant governor, the officer who presides over the state Senate and is responsible for assigning bills to committees and calling legislation to the floor for a vote.

On the Democratic side, attorney and state Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs will face Nabilah Parkes, a consultant and former state senator from Duluth. The two campaigned on similar platforms of expanding Medicaid, lowering the cost of living and protecting Georgians’ civil rights. McLaurin received roughly 41% of the votes cast in the race, while Parkes came in second place with nearly 40% of the vote.

On the Republican ticket, former Macon state Sen. John F. Kennedy will compete against state Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming. Kennedy, the former Senate president pro tem who played a key role in passing last year’s civil litigation overhaul, focused his campaign on creating jobs, bolstering education and strengthening law enforcement. He received 27% of the vote in the seven-way primary. Dolezal, who has run on issues like election integrity, immigration enforcement and opposition to sharia law, received 23%. 

Secretary of state

Voters in both parties will also need to return to the polls to select a nominee for Georgia’s next top elections official.

On the Democratic ticket, Penny Brown Reynolds, a former judge, reality TV show star and member of the Biden administration who secured 42% of the vote, will face Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett, who came in second place with 35%.

Both Democratic candidates had similar goals of ensuring that Georgia’s elections are secure, transparent and accessible. However, on the topic of Georgia’s next election equipment, which the secretary of state will help select, the candidates differed slightly.

Brown Reynolds did not specify whether she’d prefer voting machines or hand-marked ballots, but said the next system should include a paper record that voters can use to verify their results. Barrett said she’d prefer a hybrid system where voters enter their selections on a machine and receive a printed receipt that can be used for hand recounts.

On the Republican side, state Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington, the former deputy secretary of state under then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp who recently chaired a legislative committee dedicated to examining Georgia’s election policies, was the top vote-getter in a five-way primary with 39% of the electorate. 

He will face former Democratic state representative Vernon Jones, who switched to the Republican party after the 2020 election and has become an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. Jones, who has called for a statewide switch to hand-marked paper ballots ahead of November’s general election, finished in second place with 27% of the vote.

Insurance commissioner

Democrat Keisha Sean Waites, a former Georgia state representative who also ran for a seat on the Public Service Commission last year, came in first place with 42% of the vote. She will face fellow Democrat DeAndre Mathis, an insurance agent and Navy veteran who received about 20% of the vote in a five-way contest.

Both candidates seek to ban the use of ZIP codes and credit scores in setting insurance rates.

The winner will face incumbent Republican John King, who decided to run for re-election after a failed bid for U.S. Senate, in November.

Labor commissioner

In the Democratic contest, Air Force veteran, former teacher and nonprofit founder Nikki Porcher was the top vote-getter, receiving about 31% of the ballots in a five-way primary. Porcher said she plans to reshape the department to better help veterans and those seeking job training. She also pledged to prioritize affordability, citing the high costs of childcare for workers.

Michelle “Michi” Sánchez, a community organizer and former Hall County Elections Board member who owns a house cleaning business, came in second place with about 26% of the vote. Sánchez said she wants to prioritize investigations into wage theft, decrease the wait time for those receiving unemployment benefits and advocate for increasing Georgia’s minimum wage.

The winner will face incumbent Republican Bárbara Rivera Holmes in November. Holmes was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp last year after Commissioner Bruce Thompson died in office. 

State School Superintendent

In one of the closest races on the ballot, incumbent Richard Woods received 49.89% of the vote in the five-way Republican race, coming roughly 990 votes shy of the majority needed to win the race outright.

The runner-up, Fred “Bubba” Longgrear, received endorsements from many prominent Republican officials, including House Speaker Jon Burns, Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte and the chairs of the House and Senate education committees. He secured 29% of the vote.

Woods did not respond to a question about whether he would request a recount in the race.

The winner will likely face Democrat Lydia Powell, who appears to be in the lead with 50.5% of the votes in a three-way contest.

Public Service Commission, District 5

Voters will also get to select a Public Service Commission candidate in the District 5 Republican primary, as two candidates compete to fill a seat left open by outgoing Commissioner Tricia Pridemore.

Engineer Josh Tolbert and mediator Bobby Mehan, who received about 41% and 31% of the vote, respectively, in the three-person primary, are set to face off next month. Click here for more information on the PSC runoff.

Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.