# 2026 Primary: Lt. Governor & Attorney General — Criminal Justice Positions > ← Back to Election Guide Lt. Governor & Attorney General · May 19, 2026 Lt. Governor & Attorney General The Lt. Governor controls which legislation reaches the Senate floor. The Attorney Gene… **Published**: 2026-03-14 **Source**: https://gps.press/2026-primary-lt-gov-ag/ **Author**: Admin --- [← Back to Election Guide](/2026-primary-election/) Lt. Governor & Attorney General · May 19, 2026 # Lt. Governor & Attorney General The Lt. Governor controls which legislation reaches the Senate floor. The Attorney General would negotiate any DOJ consent decree on prison conditions. These races are critically important — and critically underexamined. ## Lieutenant Governor The Lt. Governor presides over the Georgia Senate, controls committee assignments and the floor calendar. This determines whether bills like SB 25 (Parole Transparency Act) and sentencing reform ever get a vote. Republican Primary — 7+ Candidates ### Blake Tillery Senate Appropriations Chair · 62 sheriff endorsements Punitive Record #### Record - Led budget process for $600M+ in prison spending - Authored SB 39 (transgender prisoner care ban) No prison reform positions despite being the legislature's lead budget writer for corrections spending. ### Steve Gooch Senate Majority Leader No CJ Positions #### Record - General public safety messaging; no specific prison or parole positions ### David Clark State Representative No CJ Positions #### Record - Immigration-focused crime framing; no prison or parole positions ### John F. Kennedy Former Senate President Pro Tem No CJ Positions #### Record - No documented criminal justice positions ### Brenda Nelson-Porter Marine Veteran, Consultant Only R with Reform Positions #### Prison Reform Positions - Prison food is "insufficient" — advocates Senate study committees on nutrition and medical care - Make parole more accessible for trade program participants - Earned time credits for literacy achievement ### Other Republican Candidates No CJ Positions - **Greg Dolezal** — State Senator. No documented positions. - **Jerry Timbs** — No documented positions. Democratic Primary ### Josh McLaurin State Senator, District 14 Most Extensive Reform Record #### Prison Reform Record & Positions - **Prison oversight:** Co-chaired 2021 House Democratic Caucus Committee investigating the prison crisis - **Voting rights:** Sponsored HB 101, HR 28, SB 179 to restore voting rights for felony convictions — would affect 200,000 people - **Sentencing:** Voted NO on SB 63 (cash bail expansion), voted NO on SB 79 (fentanyl mandatory minimums) - **Parole:** Advocates increased parole as an "evidence-based safety valve" - **Engagement:** Regularly attends Parole Board meetings - **Construction:** Opposed new prison construction - **Mentor:** Stephen B. Bright, Southern Center for Human Rights ## Accountability Matrix — Lt. Governor | Issue | Tillery (R) | Gooch (R) | Clark (R) | Kennedy (R) | Nelson-Porter (R) | McLaurin (D) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Parole reform | — | — | — | — | YES | YES | | Prison conditions | — | — | — | — | YES | YES | | Sentencing reform | — | — | — | — | — | YES | | Cash bail reform | — | — | — | — | — | YES | | Voting rights restoration | — | — | — | — | — | YES | | Independent oversight | — | — | — | — | — | YES | | Transgender prisoners | BAN | — | — | — | — | — | ## Attorney General Georgia's chief law enforcement officer. The next AG will negotiate any consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding Georgia's unconstitutional prison conditions. This race has received far less attention than it deserves. Republican Primary — 2 Candidates ### Bill Cowsert State Senator, former Majority Leader No CJ Reform Positions #### Campaign - Public safety emphasis, Laken Riley case, immigration enforcement - No positions on prison conditions, parole, or DOJ negotiations ### Brian Strickland State Senator No CJ Reform Positions #### Campaign - General law-and-order messaging - No positions on prison conditions, parole, or DOJ negotiations Democratic Primary — 2 Candidates ### Tanya Miller State Rep. (District 62) · House Democratic Caucus Chair Most Reform-Oriented AG Candidate #### Criminal Justice Positions - **Background:** Former prosecutor (Fulton County Homicide Unit, Crimes Against Women & Children) AND civil rights attorney — unusual combination - **Incarceration:** Pledges to "decrease the amount of people entangled in our criminal justice system" - **Healthcare:** Committed to healthcare for incarcerated people and parolees - **Equity:** Stands "firm against efforts that would criminalize lower income, young, and Black Georgians" - **DOJ:** As AG, would negotiate a consent decree on prison conditions — the only candidate to address this ### Robert Trammell Former House Democratic Minority Leader Limited Positions #### Background - Rural west Georgia Democrat - Limited prison-specific positions documented ## Accountability Matrix — Attorney General | Issue | Cowsert (R) | Strickland (R) | Miller (D) | Trammell (D) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Reduce incarceration | — | — | YES | — | | Police accountability | — | — | YES | — | | Healthcare for incarcerated | — | — | YES | — | | DOJ consent decree | — | — | YES | — | ## Other Statewide Offices ### Secretary of State **Republicans:** Tim Fleming, Vernon Jones, Kelvin King, Gabriel Sterling. **Democrats:** Dana Barrett, Adrian Consonery Jr., Penny Brown Reynolds. Minimal direct criminal justice relevance. ### Insurance Commissioner **Republican:** John King (incumbent), unopposed. **Democrat:** Nabilah Islam Parkes. No direct criminal justice relevance. ### Labor Commissioner, Superintendent of Schools, Agriculture Commissioner Multiple candidates across parties. Limited direct criminal justice relevance, though occupational licensing policy (Labor Commissioner) affects formerly incarcerated employment opportunities. GPS does not endorse candidates. This page presents documented positions and public records. [Return to the full Election Guide →](/2026-primary-election/)