A Gwinnett County Republican has joined the crowded race to become Georgia’s next lieutenant governor.
State Rep. David Clark, R-Buford, announced Tuesday he will seek his party’s nomination for lieutenant governor next year. A military veteran, Clark announced his candidacy by pledging to be “a warrior for Georgia families, values and freedom.”
“In a world on fire, America doesn’t need more politicians,” Clark said in a video posted on his campaign website. “We need warriors.”
Clark joins a Republican field that already includes Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega; Sen. John Kennedy, R-Macon; and Sen. Blake Tillery, R-Vidalia.
State Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, also is considering a run for lieutenant governor, and Democratic Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs has announced he’s running.
The candidates are seeking to replace Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is running for governor next year.
As a legislator, Clark earned a reputation as a thorn in the side of House Republican leaders. In 2020, he tried unsuccessfully to replace then-House Speaker David Ralston.
The following year Ralston banished him from the chamber when Clark refused to follow House rules and be tested for COVID-19. Clark relented, took a test and rejoined the House two days later.
In 2021, he announced he would not seek reelection. But he changed his mind and in 2022 defeated a fellow Republican incumbent when redistricting pitted them against each other.
Clark has kept a lower profile since then. That would change if he’s elected lieutenant governor, where he would preside over the Senate and become one of the most powerful politicians in Georgia.
In announcing his campaign, Clark highlighted his North Georgia roots, his “small-town values” and his combat service in Afghanistan.
“I fought to defend our nation’s freedom overseas,” Clark said in the video. “Now, I’m in a new fight — for YOU — as I step in to defend our families, future and freedom here at home as your next lieutenant governor of Georgia.”
As a legislator, Clark said he “protected unborn life and stood for religious liberty” and “defended the Second Amendment without compromise.”
Earlier this year he worked on bipartisan legislation that restrict courts from ordering controversial “reunification treatments” that some family courts used to resolve custody disputes.
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