Georgia Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and businessman Rick Jackson have advanced to a runoff in the Republican primary for governor after securing the top two votes in Tuesday’s contest. The race eliminated Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and state Attorney General Chris Carr, with the runoff scheduled for June 16.
A candidate needed at least half the vote to avoid a runoff, but neither Jones nor Jackson surpassed 50 percent support in recent polls. Early results showed Jones at 36.7% and Jackson at 34.5% among expected votes after 29% of the ballot was counted.
Jackson leveraged his personal background—detailing being raised by a single mother who struggled with alcoholism and endured multiple foster placements—to frame himself as a self-made businessman building a multi-billion-dollar health care enterprise. He positioned himself as unconnected to special interests, contrasting Jones as “a career politician.”
Jones, meanwhile, highlighted President Trump’s endorsement while questioning Jackson’s conservative credentials. Jackson emphasized his financial resources, stating he had spent at least $50 million of his own money to launch a campaign from political obscurity, and noted his ads appeared in markets near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property. AdImpact data indicates Jackson has invested $80 million in advertising since February.
Trump endorsed Jones shortly after his campaign launched, but recent tele-rallies confirmed the president maintained his support for Jones despite Jackson’s efforts to position himself as a “straight-talking, self-made outsider” who shares Trump’s disdain for career politicians.