(Georgia Recorder) — Vidalia Republican state Sen. Blake Tillery has joined the race to become Georgia’s next lieutenant governor in 2026.
The second-highest executive office in the state will be open next year because Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is running for governor.
Tillery, who was first elected to his south Georgia district in 2016, launched his campaign Monday with a fly-around with stops including Savannah, Augusta, Columbus and Perry.
During a stop at the state Capitol in Atlanta, Tillery said that he will prioritize conservative values.
“I believe that we should continue to focus on items that matter to Georgians, and I want my kids to be raised in a Georgia just like I was, one that believes in faith in God and puts Georgia values first, the same Georgia values and faith in God that were instilled in me by my parents,” he said.
During this year’s session, Tillery authored a series of red-meat conservative bills, including penalizing so-called sanctuary cities, banning transgender state workers from receiving gender-affirming care through the state health plan and preventing banks from punishing conservatives because of their beliefs. None of these bills passed into law, but they remain in play for when lawmakers reconvene in January.
Tillery, who chairs the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee that is responsible for helping shape the state’s budget, also pledged to eliminate the state income tax if elected lieutenant governor.
The lieutenant governor’s chief duty is to preside over the state Senate, and three other state senators have announced they will also campaign for the role.
Sandy Springs Democratic Sen. Josh McLaurin is so far the only declared candidate from his party.
“Blake is a mostly soft-spoken guy who may have trouble banking far enough right to outdo his primary opponents,” McLaurin said in a text. “But you can bank on him trying.”
If Tillery hopes to face the Democratic nominee next November, he’ll first have to succeed in the GOP primary in May. And two other powerful Republican senators also have their eyes set on Georgia’s lieutenant governor’s perch: Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch of Dahlonega and Senate President Pro Tem John Kennedy of Macon.
In a statement following Tillery’s announcement, Kennedy characterized himself as the candidate focused on results.
“As a lifelong Georgian from Adrian, I was raised on small town values and understand the importance of leadership focused on conservative results, not rhetoric. For the past ten years, I’ve been fighting for Georgia families and delivering real results under the Gold Dome,” Kennedy said
Speaking with reporters after his Atlanta appearance, Tillery said he, Kennedy and Gooch are largely aligned on policy, but he characterized himself as a leader.
“When we went to make sure that the state was not paying for transgender surgeries, I was carrying that. And we went to make sure that we weren’t funding woke ideologies in the budget, I was carrying that. So I appreciate their support. They’ve carried things too that I’ve supported,” Tillery said.
A House lawmaker, Buford Republican David Clark, has also filed paperwork to run for the post.
