(The Center Square) – Democrats will hold a slight majority in the Georgia House of Representatives, and Republicans retained a slight majority in the Senate in last week’s election, but Lt. Gov.-elect Josh McLaurin tells The Center Square he thinks the two can work together.
McLaurin, a Democrat, scored a double-digit win over Republican Greg Dolezal, 55.97%-44.03%, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s election results.
Democrats hold 91 of 180 seats in the House of Representatives.
McLaurin told broadcast host Greg Bishop on The Center Square’s “The States” on Tuesday that bipartisanship is important, but Democrats now have the mandate from voters, he said.
“Yes, bipartisanship is important, but the new question needs to be, can Republicans work with the new Democratic majority?” McLaurin said. “And unfortunately, they’ve been blocking these policy proposals that are over 70% popular for a long time: Medicaid expansion, the most basic gun safety. They implemented a very unpopular policy by implementing the six-week abortion ban.”
In the Georgia Senate, 29 of 56 members are Republicans.
Republicans “can’t even go to the bathroom,” McLaurin said of the slim majority difference.
“And so what I’m asking them to do is to respect the will of the voters on Tuesday, to honor their mandate, to work with us as we carve out new priorities for Georgia after 20 years of Republican rule,” he said. “And based on my relationships with these guys, I’m optimistic.”
The Georgia Republican Party released its analysis of the Nov. 3 race in which Democrats won the governor’s race and took all constitutional offices. The Center Square was unsuccessful in obtaining an interview with party officials before publication.
The analysis says the party can find common ground with Republicans on cost-of-living relief, specifically property taxes, gas tax relief and rural hospital support.
Republicans will protect a 2025 tort reform bill that banned three legal procedures. One is phantom damages that were based on high medical bills that were never paid instead of actual medical costs. A second is jury anchoring allowed attorneys to suggest a high award that would “anchor in jurors’ minds” when deciding award amounts. The third is protecting businesses from lawsuits involving criminal acts committed by a third party at or near their property.
The Republicans will also protect school choice, election security standards and a low-tax, pro-growth business climate, according to the analysis.
One issue dividing the parties is data centers.
McLaurin said he agrees with a proposal by Democratic Gov.-elect Keisha Lance Bottoms to pause data center development.
“Just slow them down until we can get the right regulations in place, until we can empower local communities to make their own decisions about whether they want one of these developments and the tax implications that come with that,” McLaurin said.
The Georgia Republican Party said in its analysis that Georgia should be open to data center investment. The party is recommending that lawmakers enact a 2025 Public Service Commission rule requiring new users of more than 100 megawatts of energy to pay their own grid costs. A law would outlast a Public Service Commission majority, the party said in its analysis.
Democrats Peter Hubbard and Sheila Edwards were elected to the Public Service Commission on Election Day, giving the party a majority on the regulatory board.
Hubbard and Edwards join Democrat Alicia Johnson, who was also elected in 2025 by defeating long-time commissioner Tim Echols.
The commission is chaired by Republican Jason Shaw. Republican Lauren McDonald will be the only other Republican on the commission in January after Edwards and Hubbard are sworn in.