Sandy Springs state Sen. Josh McLaurin enters the general election for lieutenant governor with less than $36,000 in the bank, facing a Republican opponent who holds more than $377,000, according to campaign finance filings released Wednesday, Aug. 12.

The 10-to-1 cash disadvantage puts McLaurin, an attorney and the Democratic nominee, against Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal of Cumming with fewer than three months until the Nov. 3 general election.

McLaurin raised more than $67,000 during the most recent reporting period but spent over $157,000, a drain caused by his June 16 Democratic primary runoff against Nabilah Parkes. He won that contest 54.9% to 45.1%, according to Fulton Neighbor reporting on the state ethics commission data.

Dolezal raised more than $291,000 in the same period. His leadership committee, Georgia Liberty PAC, brought in an additional $189,800. McLaurin does not have a leadership committee, which under state law allows certain candidates to raise unlimited contributions beyond standard statewide limits.

"My campaign will have the resources necessary to inform voters that Greg Dolezal's record is too toxic for Republican voters — and even some of his elected Republican colleagues — to accept," McLaurin said in a statement to the Georgia Recorder.

Dolezal did not respond to a request for comment from the Georgia Recorder.

McLaurin, who represents Senate District 14 and holds a law degree from Yale, has campaigned on expanding Medicaid, lowering the cost of living, protecting civil rights and increasing housing affordability. His campaign website notes Georgia's failure to expand Medicaid "has shuttered hospitals and left half a million Georgians uninsured."

Dolezal has centered his campaign on election integrity, immigration enforcement and opposition to sharia law.

Both candidates won their respective runoffs on June 16. The seat is open. Dolezal defeated John Kennedy with 54.2% of the vote, while McLaurin bested Parkes in a race that drained much of his campaign treasury before the general election began.

The filings released Aug. 12 are the first general-election disclosures of the 2026 cycle. Campaign contribution reports were due to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission by July 31, with a grace period ending Aug. 7.

The next round of fundraising reports is due in October, ahead of the Nov. 3 election.