In Thursday’s episode of the “Politically Georgia” podcast, Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalists Patricia Murphy and Greg Bluestein interviewed state Sen. Josh McLaurin about his newly launched campaign for lieutenant governor.

(L-R) AJC’s Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Shane Backler interview State Sen. Josh McLaurin, D-Sandy Springs, at the Capitol in Atlanta on Monday, March 31, 2025. (Arvin Temkar / AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

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Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

“If I were to win in 2026, that would be a four-year project and a leadership position to help fundraise, to help move the Senate Democratic caucus towards a majority,” said the Sandy Springs Democrat.

McLaurin, who has been vocal about the actions of the Trump administration in its first 100 days, also revisited his time as a college roommate of JD Vance at Yale Law School.

Before Trump’s election in 2016, McLaurin said he received a text from Vance suggesting Trump could be “America’s Hitler.” After Trump endorsed Vance’s run for U.S. Senate in 2022, McLaurin publicized the text.

“I very publicly lamented [Vance’s] trajectory in flipping on Trump. And so that’s been an interesting part of my journey,” said McLaurin.

Later in the podcast, AJC Washington Bureau Chief Tia Mitchell and AJC Editor-in-Chief Leroy Chapman reflect on World Press Freedom Day and the pressures faced by the media, from attacks by President Donald Trump to the challenges of artificial intelligence.

New episodes of the “Politically Georgia” podcast are available every week wherever you get your podcasts. If you haven’t yet, be sure to subscribe for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or other podcast platforms. You can also ask your smart speaker to “play the Politically Georgia podcast.”

Have a question or comment for the hosts? Call the 24-hour “Politically Georgia” podcast hotline at 770-810-5297.

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State Sen. Josh McLaurin, a Democrat who grew up in east Cobb, is expected to launch his campaign for Lieutenant governor in Savannah on Monday, May 5, 2025. (Hyosub Shin / AJC file photo)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

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U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff speaks during a town hall at the Cobb County Civic Center on April 25 in Atlanta. Ossoff said Wednesday he is investigating corporate landlords and out-of-state companies buying up single-family homes in bulk. (Jason Allen for the AJC)

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