ATLANTA, Ga. — State Sen. John F. Kennedy resigned his seat in the state legislature on Tuesday to run for lieutenant governor in Georgia’s nationally watched midterm elections next year.

Kennedy launched his campaign for lieutenant governor in June.

Kennedy’s resignation from his Macon legislative seat is effective immediately, meaning a special election will need to be held to fill out the rest of Kennedy’s term.

Kennedy, a Republican, was elected to the senate in 2014. He would become a floor leader for Gov. Brian Kemp and was eventually elected President Pro Tempore, the Senate’s second highest position.

Kennedy’s 18th district includes Crawford, Monroe, Peach, Upson, Bibb and Houston counties.

In the most recent legislative session, Kennedy sponsored and passed Gov. Brian Kemp’s highly touted – and controversial – tort reform legislation.

Like Georgia’s 2026 governor’s race, the campaign to become the state’s 14th lieutenant governor is wide open. Kennedy joins Republican state senators Steve Gooch from Dahlonega, Blake Tillery from Vidalia and Greg Dolezal from Cumming, along with Republican state Rep. David Clark from Buford.

Democratic state Sen. Josh McLaurin from Sandy Springs has also announced he is running for lieutenant governor.

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