Trump-backed candidate goes down in flames in key swing state

An expensive slugfest between two Republican candidates for governor fighting for the party’s nomination came to an end Tuesday night.

The Associated Press called the race for wealthy businessman Rick Jackson at around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday. As of late Tuesday night, Jackson had about 53% of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.

Speaking at his election watch party in north Atlanta, Jackson said he will continue building on the “foundation laid by Georgia’s great Republican governors for the last few years,” and pointed to his rise from a foster child to a billionaire and to becoming head of Jackson Healthcare.

“I lived with five different foster families and attended 13 different schools, but with God’s help, I built a business [and] created thousands of jobs,” Jackson said.

Jackson mimicked Trump’s style in some ways, making a flashy entrance at his campaign launch by riding down a glass elevator and positioning himself as a political outsider. He also released an ad implying he had Gov. Brian Kemp’s backing, which Kemp later denied.

And Jones had been considered the frontrunner in the contest for the GOP nomination before Jackson upended the race in February with the surprise announcement that he was launching a campaign to replace term-limited Kemp.

Jones, who was the top vote-getter last month, was backed by President Donald Trump early in the race and very recently picked up Kemp’s endorsement. But Jackson had the backing of several high-profile establishment Georgia Republicans like his former rival in the race, Attorney General Chris Carr. Jackson also had the support of Insurance Commissioner John King and outgoing Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, as well as national Republicans like U.S. Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas who dropped in to campaign for Jackson in recent weeks.

Speaking at a campaign event in his hometown in Butts County, Jones congratulated Jackson but kept his speech brief. He said that although he had a strong showing on election day, it was not enough.

“It looked like it was coming back pretty good, but the early voting margin was just a little too much to overcome,” Jones said.

Jones also blamed his loss on Jackson’s spending, saying that they “were outspent … and it was a very competitive race.”

“We felt like we had a chance to win tonight, and just came up a little short,” Jones said.

In Jackson’s victory speech, he defended his campaign’s outsized spending, saying he doesn’t need the money. On the campaign trail, Jackson often called his fortune “God’s money.”

“I did not run for governor to join their club. I ran to break up the club,” Jackson said.

The two candidates together spent over $138.6 million over the primary through the runoff period, according to campaign finance records leading up to Tuesday’s runoff election. Jackson’s spending makes up about 78% of that, representing nearly $108 million in spending that came largely from contributions he personally made to his campaign. Jones loaned his campaign just over $25 million and raised another $5 million.

Despite millions spent on ads, often attacking one another, Jones and Jackson had to face off in the June runoff after neither received over 50% of the vote in a crowded May’s primary election.

Jackson, who often took shots at Bottoms during the primary period, used his victory speech to pitch why voters should choose him over the former Atlanta mayor in November. He cited her decision to not run for a second term as mayor, saying that she “did such a bad job as mayor, she didn’t even run for reelection.”

“She would be an absolute disaster. When the violence started, families were afraid, businesses worried, and police officers needed support, Keisha Lance Bottoms turned her back on all of them. Keisha Lance Bottoms failed,” Jackson said.

In a statement, Bottoms fired back and criticized Jackson for having $1 billion in state contracts while opposing full Medicaid expansion for Georgia’s poorer residents.

“Georgians deserve a governor who is focused on ensuring they have every opportunity to thrive and who will fight for them when Donald Trump’s reckless policies hurt Georgia – that’s what I will do as governor. I will get to work to lower costs, expand Medicaid, and invest in Georgians’ education,” Bottoms said.

Charlie Bailey, chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, also blasted Jackson, saying that Jackson is an “out-of-touch billionaire who doesn’t even pretend to care about the issues facing Georgians” and cast the Republican as a Trump ally who will raise the cost of living for Georgians.

“Jackson can’t even name a single Trump policy he disagrees with – and vocally supports the cost-raising policies coming out of DC that are raising costs on Georgians and making life harder for Georgia families, farmers, and small businesses alike,” Bailey said in a statement.

Georgia Recorder intern Ellie Fivas contributed to this report.

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