Rick Jackson, a 71-year-old health care business owner, announced Feb. 3 that he is running as a Republican for governor of Georgia, reshaping a GOP field that had looked settled for months and challenging the political establishment around President Donald Trump’s preferred path for the state’s next top office.
Jackson said he would spend $50 million of his own money on the campaign. In his announcement, he described his rivals in the race as “career politicians” and argued they would “do nothing, get rich and keep you in the dark.” Jackson instead presented himself as “a real-life conservative” who said he knows how to “fight the tough fights and win big for Georgia.”
The entry comes with Gov. Brian Kemp unable to seek another term because he is term-limited. Jackson is therefore aiming at the May 19 Republican primary, where a four-candidate field could make a June 16 runoff more likely if no contender wins a majority.
Jackson’s announcement places him directly into a contest that already includes four prominent statewide figures: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has been endorsed by Trump; Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger; and Attorney General Chris Carr. Jones has been widely seen as a front-runner within the party, and Jackson’s candidacy adds a new, self-funded challenger for the voters selecting the nominee.
The announcement also landed after a separate outside attack effort targeting Jones. A shadowy entity called “Georgians for Integrity” has spent more than $13 million since November on television ads, mailers, texts and social media posts attacking Jones on claims that he is using his office to enrich himself, a campaign Jackson associated with “misleading” assertions that Jones dismissed as “fabricated trash.” Jackson campaign spokesperson Lance Trover denied Tuesday that Jackson funded the ads.
Jackson’s message has leaned sharply conservative and included pledges aimed at both social issues and Georgia’s tax debates. He promoted what he called “criminal deportations,” said he would purge schools of “woke ideology,” and said he would ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. In a launch video, he also said, “And if we can’t cut the state income tax in half and freeze property taxes, I won’t run again,” tying his candidacy to two tax debates underway at the Georgia Capitol.
Jackson, like several other candidates in the field, is also running with substantial personal wealth. The candidate’s health care staffing company, Jackson Healthcare, contracts with providers to hire doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, and it also assists with permanent staffing and consulting. Jackson Healthcare has also reported more than $3 billion in yearly revenue, and in 2021 Jackson bought US Antibiotics, a Bristol, Tennessee, company that describes itself as the only American manufacturer of two top antibiotics.
In the race’s political subtext, Jackson is seeking to draw contrasts that reach beyond Georgia’s current officeholders into Trump-world loyalty tests. Jackson said he is a billionaire and highlighted a $1 million donation to Trump, telling supporters, “Trump’s success inspired me to do this for Georgia.” He also has been a donor in Georgia Republican circles for more than a decade, with past beneficiaries that have included Carr, Raffensperger and former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who is now running for governor as a Democrat.
Other parts of the Jackson profile connect to both pandemic-era staffing and Georgia’s education policy. Kemp has touted Jackson Healthcare’s role in providing doctors and nurses to Georgia hospitals during the pandemic, and Jackson has taken credit for a law that provides free college tuition, room and board for students who were in foster care or placed for adoption by Georgia’s child welfare agency.
The announcement drew responses from competing campaigns. Kayla Lott, a spokesperson for Jones, dismissed the idea that Jackson could threaten Jones’ support, saying: “The never-Trump lane just got way more expensive and way more crowded.” Carr’s campaign said its argument that he is best positioned to win the general election has not changed; in a statement, spokesperson Julia Mazzone said, “Chris is who he has always been: a proven conservative leader with a record of results and the credibility to unite voters across Georgia.” Raffensperger’s campaign declined to comment on Jackson’s entry, and Jones’ campaign did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Jackson also received early support from outside political figures. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich backed Jackson, writing online Tuesday that “He will be a great governor of Georgia and brings compassion and business experience to the race.” At the same time, Jackson is already pitching a primary strategy that includes new contrasts inside the GOP contest, including an ad he launched that represents Raffensperger as “Judas” for what Jackson described as betraying Trump and defying Trump’s efforts to overturn Georgia’s 2020 election.