Democrats sweep Georgia statewide offices
Georgia Democrats won control of Georgia’s top elected state offices Tuesday, ending a generation of Republican control.
Democrats won the races for lieutenant governor, attorney general and secretary of state — offices that will allow them to preside in the Georgia Senate, decide some the state’s law enforcement priorities and oversee elections. They also won the races for commissioners of agriculture, insurance and labor, as well as state school superintendent.
Combined with Keisha Lance Bottoms’ victory in the governor’s race, Tuesday’s results amount to a near-complete Democratic takeover of Georgia government.
Lieutenant governor
Democrat Josh McLaurin defeated his Republican opponent Greg Dolezal in the lieutenant governor’s race making him the first of his party to hold power over the Senate chamber since 2007.
“Tonight, Georgians across our great state resoundingly rejected the failed policies of a distracted and would-be authoritarian president, as well as those state-level officials who have been following him off a cliff,” McLaurin said Tuesday night. “Voters of all backgrounds transcended party lines to seek an end to the chaos that has been plaguing working families and small businesses.”
Georgia elections
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On the campaign trail, the Democrat touted his ability to work across the aisle during his time as both a state representative and state senator.
In Georgia, the lieutenant governor wields immense power in the state Senate by presiding over floor debates and making committee assignments that give him control over what bills reach the floor for a vote.
Attorney general
Democrat state Rep. Tanya Miller narrowly defeated Republican state Sen. Brian Strickland in the attorney general’s race. That likely means a shift in priorities for the state’s top lawyer.
One example: Current Republican Attorney General Chris Carr sued the Biden administration over its vaccine and mask mandate for the Head Start childcare program and opposing Biden’s college debt relief plan. A Democratic attorney general could take similar action against the Trump administration.
“Tonight, together, we made history. But more importantly, tonight, we made a promise: that justice in Georgia will never be reserved for the wealthy, the powerful or the politically connected,” Miller said late Tuesday. “Georgia, you have elected a people’s lawyer.”
Secretary of state
Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds defeated Republican state Rep. Tim Fleming in the race to become secretary of state.
Reynolds is a former Fulton County State Court judge and onetime host of the reality TV show “Family Court with Judge Penny.” She also served in the Biden administration as a senior official in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Reynolds has said she wants to safeguard vulnerable communities from fraud, modernize professional licensing, protect voting rights and restore trust in elections.
Insurance commissioner
Democrat Keisha Sean Waites defeated incumbent Republican Insurance Commissioner John King.
Waites is a former Georgia state representative and Atlanta City Council member. She ran on challenging rate hikes by home and auto insurers, advocating to outlaw ZIP code and credit score-based premiums, and creating a dedicated task force to investigate scams that target seniors and other vulnerable residents.
Labor commissioner
Democrat Nikki Porcher defeated incumbent Republican Bárbara Rivera Holmes.
Porcher founded a nonprofit and is a U.S. Air Force veteran and former public school educator.
Holmes made history in 2025 when she was appointed labor commissioner, becoming the first Latina to hold statewide office in Georgia.
The labor commissioner handles applications for unemployment insurance, collects and reports on labor market data, and manages career centers across the state.
Agriculture commissioner
Katherine Juhan-Arnold defeated incumbent Republican Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper.
Juhan-Arnold is the founder of a Snellville nonprofit that connects farmers with markets and families with fresh, locally grown food.
Her priorities include supporting market access and addressing rising costs for Georgia farmers, and ensuring families have access to fresh, locally grown food. She also supports economic development for rural Georgia, consumer protection at the gas pump and elsewhere, sustainable forestry, agricultural innovation and land protection.
State school superintendent
Democrat Lydia Powell defeated incumbent Republican Richard Woods.
Powell is a former social studies teacher who has spent 26 years as an educator in DeKalb, Clayton, Fayette and Henry counties. She’s currently an assistant principal at Henry County’s Hampton High. She ran partly on the promise of change, assuring educators that they’ll have a seat at the table.