Campaign video targeting ‘sharia law’ draws a Muslim candidate to Georgia’s lieutenant governor race

The race to become the next leader of the Georgia Senate heated up this week as one candidate’s incendiary campaign video drew criticism from both sides of the aisle and another lawmaker made a last-minute entry into the race.

The ad, released earlier this week by state Sen. Greg Dolezal, depicted Muslims terrorizing white Georgia residents and ended with the message “keep Georgia sharia free.” Dolezal, a Cumming Republican who is running for lieutenant governor, characterized Muslims as “invaders who would rather pillage our generosity than assimilate,” in the caption of the video.

The ad received immediate backlash, particularly from Georgia’s Muslim lawmakers, who denounced it as hateful, racist and Islamophobic. 

State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a Duluth Democrat and one of two Muslim lawmakers in the House, said the video heightened the dangers faced by Georgia’s Muslim community. 

“The sad reality is that people have turned this into an industry where they’re making a lot of money off of rage,” Romman said, adding that the majority of her family lives in Dolezal’s Forsyth County district. “I was, frankly, appalled.”

Sen. Sheikh Rahman, a Lawrenceville Democrat and one of two Muslims in the chamber, condemned the video and called on Dolezal to publicly apologize and remove the ad in a speech from the well.

“When I looked at the video, my response was, it’s pathetic,” he said. “It’s unbelievable. It is really pathetic to see how low you can go.”

When asked about the response to his ad, Dolezal said he had not been in the Senate chamber to hear the remarks, but said, “I’m not going to take campaign advice from the Democrats.”

He also drew comparisons between himself and President Donald Trump, who earlier this week claimed that there were “sharia courts adjudicating law” in London under Mayor Sadiq Khan.

“We’ve seen this be a hot topic around the country, and the president actually came out and discussed it yesterday as well,” Dolezal said in an interview Wednesday. “So once again, I’m finding myself in line with the President.”

But other Republicans in the race have sought to distance themselves from Dolezal’s rhetoric. John F. Kennedy, a former Republican state senator from Macon who is also running for lieutenant governor, also criticized the ad.

“I, quite frankly, think it’s kind of bizarre,” Kennedy said. “At this stage of the campaign, some candidates will do outlandish things to get attention, and this is probably in that vein. That’s not my style. That’s not what I’m a part of.”

The downstream effects from Dolezal’s campaign video may also bleed into the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor. 

Duluth Democrat Sen. Nabilah Parkes had previously announced her campaign for Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, seeking to unseat incumbent Commissioner John King, a Republican. But on the second to last day of qualifying she switched lanes, filing paperwork to run for lieutenant governor instead.

“My time in the state Senate the past four years has shown me how broken politics is, how much the Senate Republicans have become more and more MAGA Republicans and steered away from the issues that really matter to Georgians,” she said.

Parkes said she joined the race for lieutenant governor because she wants to shift the focus and tone of the chamber and push for legislation that benefits working families. She also referenced Dolezal’s campaign video and vowed to push back against xenophobic rhetoric.

“That type of bigotry is what I will make sure we check in the state Senate,” she said.

Her late entry into the race also heightened tensions with her colleague, state Sen. Josh McLaurin of Sandy Springs, who had announced his campaign for lieutenant governor last May and was widely seen as the Democratic frontrunner in the race.

“This election is going to be about who’s ready to govern,” he said. “That means deliberate intention, knowing who you are, knowing what you’re about, knowing what job you want and sticking to it.”

Part of his strength as a candidate, he added, is championing progressive causes while also being able to form relationships across the aisle.

“A lot of Republicans up there, whether they will tell you publicly or not, count me as a friend,” he said. “And I think that’s important, because it means when we do flip the state, and when we do take charge in November, there may still be Republican majorities. And if that’s the case, we have to be able to work with them to get anything done for Georgians. I know I’ll be able to do that.”

Candidate qualifying started Monday and will wrap up at noon Friday. Also joining the Democratic primary is Richard Wright, a certified public accountant from Fulton County. On the GOP side, six candidates had qualified as of Thursday. 

Deputy Editor Ross Williams contributed to this report.