Georgia Republican Steve Gooch launches bid for lieutenant governor

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ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch on Thursday launched his campaign for lieutenant governor, becoming the latest Republican to say he would model his candidacy on President Donald Trump.

Burt Jones, the current Republican lieutenant governor, is expected to run for governor next year and could announce his candidacy within the next few weeks.

Gooch, of Dahlonega, was first elected to the state Senate in 2010. He previously served as Lumpkin County‘s lone commissioner. He also earlier served as a member of the state Board of Transportation, which oversees Georgia's highways and other infrastructure.

“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,” Gooch said in a statement.

He called himself a “die-hard MAGA supporter” having successfully sponsored a law this year creating an “America First” license plate that will soon be offered to Georgia motorists. At a previous state Republican Party convention, Gooch touted the license plate as a way to show support for Trump.

Georgia’s lieutenant governor presides over Senate sessions, but senators decide how much power the official has. When senators agree, lieutenant governors can be influential.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Blake Tillery of Vidalia has already announced that he’s running for lieutenant governor. Senate President Pro Tem John Kennedy of Macon has also been considering a run. Other Republicans could seek the office as well, including state Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming.

On the Democratic side, the only declared candidate is state Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs.