Georgia’s runoffs are over. Here are the candidates who are advancing to November’s election. 

by Ellie Fivas, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission]

June 18, 2026

As Georgians headed to the polls on Tuesday, voters were doing more than just determining Republican nominees for the top of the ticket  — both parties also decided nominations for key down-ballot primary races. 

Democrats and Republican voters returned to choose their nominees for lieutenant governor and secretary of state. Republican voters also had to settle the race for Public Service Commission District 5 and state school superintendent. Democrats chose between the top two candidates for both labor and insurance commissioners. 

These nominees are now turning their focus to the general election in November. 

Lieutenant Governor

Attorney and State Sen. Josh McLaurin took home the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, beating Nabilah Parkes, a former state senator and consultant. McLaurin, who is from Sandy Springs, earned roughly 54% of the vote while Parkes, from Duluth, received about 45%, according to unofficial results from the secretary of state’s website. Both McLaurin and Parkes centered their campaigns on lowering rising costs of living for Georgians, with emphasis on expanding Medicaid and developing more affordable housing. 

In March, Parkes resigned her state Senate seat during the legislative session to focus on her lieutenant governor run — a move that McLaurin criticized during his runoff campaign. McLaurin credited his victory to how he adjusted his messaging to appeal to voters outside of metro Atlanta. 

“Republicans have tried to keep a monopoly over issues outside of metro Atlanta, so we’ve got to break that monopoly,” McLaurin told the Georgia Recorder. “I tried to campaign in a way that would help break it by traveling to all corners of the state, really listening, and it made a big difference.” 

McLaurin will face state Sen. Greg Dolezal, who clinched the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor on Tuesday night. Dolezal, who is from Cumming, triumphed with about 54% of the vote over former Macon state Sen. John F. Kennedy, who received about 45%. 

Dolezal centered his campaign on property tax reform, public school alternatives and election integrity, along with opposing illegal immigration and sharia law. Dolezal told the Georgia Recorder that he plans to campaign similarly in the general election. 

“Our messaging has really been focused on the preservation of the American dream, and that will not change,” he said.

Secretary of State

Penny Brown Reynolds, a former judge and previous member of the Biden administration, won about 63% of the vote, while Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett earned roughly 36%. Brown Reynolds campaigned on preserving voting rights, ensuring election integrity and empowering small businesses. 

“It was an absolute blowout,” Brown Reynolds said in an online video. “You finished what we started and now we have to take it all the way to November.”

State Rep. Tim Fleming of Covington, who won the Republican nomination for secretary of state, will face Brown Reynolds in November. Fleming faced former Democratic state Rep. Vernon Jones, with Fleming earning about 64% of the vote and Jones receiving about 35%. 

Fleming was deputy secretary of state under then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp while Jones switched parties after the 2020 election and is now a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump. Fleming focused his campaign on guarding against election fraud and championing voter ID policies. 

Fleming thanked voters in a Facebook video for the “overwhelming support” and expressed enthusiasm for the November general election. 

Insurance Commissioner

Voters also decided between two candidates for the Democratic nominee for insurance commissioner in Tuesday’s runoff election. Former state Rep. Keisha Sean Waites opposed DeAndre Mathis, an insurance agent from South Fulton. 

Waites, also a former Atlanta City Councilwoman, succeeded against her opponent with roughly 58% of the vote, with Mathis earning about 41%.

“While we have come a long way, our work is not finished,” Waites said in an Instagram statement on Tuesday night. “The finish line is within sight, but this is the time when we must push harder than ever.”

Come November, Waites will face incumbent Republican insurance commissioner John King, who ran unopposed for the GOP nomination. 

Labor Commissioner

Nikki Porcher, an Air Force veteran and nonprofit founder, secured the Democratic nomination for labor commissioner with about 61% of the vote. Porcher beat Michelle “Michi” Sánchez, a community organizer who previously served on the Hall County Board of Elections, in the runoff, who earned about 38% of the vote. 

While Sanchez received multiple endorsements from state lawmakers and former and current county commissioners, Porcher won the nomination with priorities focused on affordable childcare, Department of Labor customer service and small business development. 

“I’m grateful to every Georgian who made their voice heard in this election. Our democracy is strongest when people participate, and I look forward to bringing people together to build a Georgia where work works for everyone,” Porcher said in a Wednesday press release. 

Porcher will face appointed Republican incumbent Bárbara Rivera Holmes in the general election. 

State School Superintendent

After a competitive primary election, the two top candidates for Republican nomination for state school superintendent, incumbent Richard Woods and Fred “Bubba” Longgrear, were on the ballot for Tuesday’s runoff election. 

Woods squeaked by to win the Republican nomination with roughly 51% of the vote, while Longgrear earned about 48%. 

The primary and runoff elections were both hotly contested, with many prominent Republican lawmakers endorsing Longgrear over Woods. During Woods’ primary campaign, he pledged to continue addressing youth literacy. He has faced criticism for low literary scores statewide during his tenure as superintendent, which Longgrear’s campaign capitalized on. 

“Despite being outspent $1,500,000 to $50,000 — we weren’t outworked. I deeply appreciate the grassroots efforts across the state that delivered a victory on Tuesday. As we look to November, I’m confident we’ll deliver a victory just like we have the past three elections — not just for me, but for the students, parents, and educators of Georgia,” Woods said in a statement to the Recorder. 

Woods will face Democratic nominee Lydia Powell in November. 

Public Service Commission, District 5

Voters also settled the GOP race for Public Service Commission District 5 in these elections. Josh Tolbert, a mechanical engineer from Cobb County, won the nomination with roughly 59% of the vote, beating out mediator Bobby Mehan. 

Tolbert, who pledged to use his technical experience to focus on facts rather than politics, will face Democratic candidate Sheila Edwards, a communications professional and energy advocate. The November race could be a determining factor in whether Republicans can maintain their majority on the commission.

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.