Georgia Senate leader Steve Gooch runs for lieutenant governor, vows bold leadership

ATLANTA – Georgia Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch will seek the Republican nomination to run for lieutenant governor next year.

Gooch, R-Dahlonega, announced his candidacy Wednesday in a press release, describing himself as “unapologetically pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-school choice.”

“Georgia deserves bold leadership that will stand up to the insanity of the Democrat Party, protect our families from the invasion of criminal illegal aliens and keep our economy vibrant and strong,” Gooch said. “I see a Georgia that is the gold standard for our great country — a state that leads the way in securing our borders, stopping violent crime, abolishing the state income tax, and defending the values that make America great.”

The 2026 lieutenant governor’s race is expected to draw a crowded field of candidates looking to succeed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is expected to vacate the post to run for governor.

Gooch was elected to the state Senate in 2010 after serving as a member of the State Transportation Board and in Lumpkin County government. His Republican colleagues elected him majority leader in 2022 after he previously served as majority whip and chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee.

Gooch holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from North Georgia College and State University (now known as the University of North Georgia) as well as a master’s degree in public administration. He owns an environmental services company in Dahlonega.

This story available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat, an initiative of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.

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