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ATLANTA (CN) — Rick Jackson, a billionaire and political newcomer, defeated President Donald Trump’s pick for Georgia’s governor in Tuesday’s primary runoff election.
The healthcare executive won the Republican nomination by 37,560 more votes than his challenger, Burt Jones.
Trump’s endorsement of Jones was not enough to counter the more than $83 million Jackson poured from his own pocket into his campaign.
“Jackson’s victory proves that relentless, self-funded spending can blunt a Trump endorsement,” said Kimberly Martin, a Georgia Southern University political science professor. “Jackson’s strength is that he is a ‘blank slate’ candidate who isn’t tied to Georgia or national politics.”
Jones, who has served as the lieutenant governor since 2023, faced criticism for standing by Trump’s efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat in the presidential election in the state. It opened the door to more than $1 million worth of brutal attack ads from a Delaware-based organization called Georgians for Integrity.
In his hometown of Jackson, Georgia, Jones thanked his supporters Tuesday night.
“I’ve never let politics define me as a person. There is a life after politics,” Jones said. “I’ve truly enjoyed serving the people of Georgia.”
Jones and Jackson had advanced to a runoff after leading a crowded GOP contest that also featured Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who both struggled to break through a back-and-forth feud between the two front-runners.
Leading up to the race, a company run by Jones and his family filed a $100 million libel lawsuit against Jackson, arguing an advertisement falsely portrayed Jones Petroleum as operating an illegal casino.
In early March, Jackson sued Jones and his campaign claiming defamation and libel, saying they falsely accused him of making his fortune by recruiting for Planned Parenthood and helping doctors perform transgender procedures on minors.
Jackson tried to show his loyalty to Trump with a $1 million donation to the president in December.
Yet, like Trump, aspirational politics likely played a role in his win, as Republican voters vied for the wealthy businessman instead of the political insider.
“I’m the only candidate that doesn’t owe a thing to the political establishment,” Jackson told his supporters after securing the nomination. “I can’t be bought. And I won’t back down,” he added.
In November, Jackson will face off against Keisha Lance Bottoms, who clinched the Democratic nomination in May with 56% of votes. Bottoms made a name for herself locally as the former mayor of Atlanta and earned national recognition as a White House senior adviser under former President Joe Biden.
Her institutional backing from the Democratic Party and Democratic elites around the state, on top of a reliable voter base, will make Bottoms a tough challenge for Jackson.
“The general election will be a battle for the suburbs,” Martin said.
“Bottoms will rely on high Black voter turnout in urban centers and a strong performance among suburban women. The Republican nominee will have to maximize numbers in the rest of the state while keeping the margins respectable in metro Atlanta,” she added.
Data centers are expected to be a focal point this election, as Georgia has turned into a national hot spot for their development, Georgia State University political science Professor Tammy Greer said.
She said Jackson will have to explain why rapid growth is spilling into rural areas, heavy with conservative voters, who are concerned eminent domain will force property sales for “public use” if residents reject the offers.
U.S. Senate race
Republicans will face an even bigger uphill challenge in the U.S. Senate race against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff, Greer said.
In that race, the political newcomer campaign proved unsuccessful for former University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley, who was defeated in the runoff by current U.S. Representative Mike Collins.
Dooley’s endorsement from Republican Governor Brian Kemp enabled the son of University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley — a legend among Bulldog fans — to gain ground.
Kemp has served for two terms, including his latest in 2022, and enjoyed high approval ratings.
Yet Collins came out on top, crushing his opponent by more than 77,000 votes.
Collins is serving his second term in the U.S. House. He touts the passage of the Laken Riley Act — named after a slain 22-year-old university student — which requires officials to detain immigrants without bail for specific crimes.
But Collins’ loyalty to Trump could end up detrimental in the fall, as the president’s national approval ratings have plummeted.
Ossoff ran for reelection unopposed as the youngest incumbent U.S. senator in the country. Ossoff and Raphael Warnock became the first Democrats to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate since 2005.
Having earned high approval ratings since his election in 2021, the Democrat poses a steep challenge for his Republican opponent.
“He has been a huge advocate for Georgia,” Greer said.
She added that Ossoff has been compared to the late Georgia Senator Johnny Isakson, a widely respected Republican who was favored by both parties, as well as independent voters.
“So, far it seems like Ossoff has done that,” Greer added.
Martin said Republicans have a chance to win back the Senate, but their battle will likely rest on the national environment and issues such as inflation and gas prices.
The general election for the Senate will undoubtedly feature razor-thin margins, she added.
“Historically, Georgia Democrats have closed the gap in suburban areas during midterm cycles,” Martin said.
“To win either the governor’s race or Senate, the Republican nominee cannot just run up the score in rural areas; they must actively win back the moderate swing voters who could choose to split-ticket vote as they did in 2022,” she added.
Over 488,000 people, or 6.6% of active voters, turned out for the runoff, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.
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