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Rick Jackson topples Burt Jones, wins GOP nod for governor
AJC.com • • nation
Key Points:
- Billionaire Rick Jackson spent over $100 million of his own money to defeat Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in Georgia's Republican gubernatorial runoff, overcoming endorsements from Donald Trump and Gov. Brian Kemp.
- Jackson's win marks a major political upset and positions him against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in the November general election, which will decide if Republicans maintain control of the governor’s office.
- The primary was one of the costliest and nastiest in Georgia history, with combined spending nearing $160 million, featuring heavy negative ads and personal attacks between the candidates.
- Jackson, a political outsider and healthcare executive, campaigned as a MAGA-aligned candidate promising business-style governance, attracting suburban Republicans and supporters of more mainstream GOP figures.
- Moving forward, Jackson faces the challenge of uniting a divided Republican Party and convincing a broader electorate of his readiness to govern against Bottoms, who aims to become Georgia’s first Black governor.
