By Dave Williams and Keith Murden / Capitol Beat News Service & The Nugget --------- Lumpkin native Steve Gooch will seek the Republican nomination to run for Lieutenant Governor next year. The Georgia Senate Majority Leader announced his candidacy Wednesday in a MAGA-themed press release, describing himself as "unapologetically pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and pro-school choice." Following his official announcement last week, The Nugget reached out to Gooch for some additional perspective on his forthcoming campaign. “I am running for Lieutenant Governor of Georgia to advocate for conservative principles and the American First agenda, ensuring that our values are represented and our freedoms protected,” said Gooch, R-Dahlonega. “By investing in education, transportation and job opportunities for our young people in rural Georgia, I aim to empower the next generation and create a thriving economy that benefits all Georgians.”
Those words echoed the language in his press release, which was titled “Die Hard MAGA Champion & Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch Announces Campaign for Lt. Governor.”
It described Gooch as “a consistent and vocal supporter for President Donald Trump ever since he came down the escalator in Trump Tower in 2015.”
“The liberal Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other media outlets mockingly called me a MAGA champion at the State Capitol—and I wear that as a badge of honor,” Gooch stated in the press release. “I proudly stand with President Trump and will continue fighting to restore the greatness of our country.”
When asked whether he believes President Trump’s national priorities will result in improved economic conditions for Georgia voters by the time next year’s elections arrive, Gooch seemed generally supportive of the president’s recent efforts to address trade imbalances with other nations through a revised tariff structure.
“The current and past trade deficits are hurting the U.S. economy and must be balanced in order to bring manufacturing back to America, which will create more wealth for our nation and future generations,” Gooch told The Nugget.
Gooch addressed the kind of direction he believes the state should go in.
"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 stated in the press release.
"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,” he continued.
READYING FOR THE RACE
The 2026 lieutenant governor's race could attract a crowded field of candidates looking to succeed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who is expected to vacate the post to run for governor.
Gooch’s campaign would likely draw a stark contrast with Democratic candidate and State Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs, who recently entered the race while promising a campaign focused on fighting President Donald Trump’s agenda.
McLaurin, a lawyer, was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2018 before moving over to the state Senate in 2022. This year, he has railed on the Senate floor almost daily against Trump’s economic policies and defiance of the rule of law.
“One hundred days in, the Trump administration is tanking the economy and ignoring court orders,” McLaurin said. “But the Republicans running the state of Georgia are silent about Trump’s needless tariffs and his violations of Americans’ basic legal rights.”
Meanwhile, Gooch’s legislative experience began in Lumpkin County before moving to the state level.
He 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.
Some of Gooch’s signature achievements in the state Senate include making large investments in transportation infrastructure and rural broadband internet expansion and, most recently, helping pass Tort Reform legislation designed to lower skyrocketing insurance premiums in the state.
Gooch holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from North Georgia College & 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.
Gooch and his wife Shannon are also the proud parents of three children: Samuel, Seth and Sawyer.