SAVANNAH, Ga. — As Georgia’s primary election runoff approaches, the race for the Republican nomination for governor is heating up, drawing significant attention. Businessman Rick Jackson and Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones are set to compete again this Tuesday, each aiming to secure a spot on the November general election ballot. The winner will go head-to-head with Democratic contender and former Atlanta Mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms.
In a show of support for Bottoms, four prominent local leaders held a press conference in Savannah on Tuesday. Among them were Mayor Van Johnson, Public Service Commissioner Alicia Johnson, and Chatham County Commissioner Aaron “Adot” Whitely. They urged voters to back Bottoms, criticizing Jackson and Jones for prioritizing personal gain over the interests of Georgians.
“Whether it’s Burt Jones altering the law to benefit his family’s business or Rick Jackson profiting from lucrative no-bid contracts,” remarked Savannah Mayor Van Johnson, “it’s clear to me that these actions do not align with the everyday realities faced by Georgians.”
The speakers emphasized that Bottoms would provide a fairer playing field, accusing Jackson and Jones of having a history of self-serving practices.
Speakers said that Bottoms would even the odds, while accusing Jones and Jackson of having a long record of self-enrichment.
“If we have a strong governor who’s willing to use the veto power, which I believe the key to Lance Bottoms is, I think we can get a lot done in our state to make sure that tables are more equal, you know, to make sure that our state is more equitable,” District 6 Chatham County Commissioner Whitely said.
Jones and Jackson spoke earlier this month about their ideals.
“We said we were gonna cut taxes, we said we were gonna get rid of regulations,” Jones said. “We said we were gonna pass school choice. We said we were gonna be tough on public safety and we also assured you we were gonna have voter integrity back in this state right here. And we are very, very close right here to being your nominee and we wanna be your next governor.”
Jackson said, “People resonate with the fact that I’m not a politician, that I have struggled and I know how to do that. And my promise to our kids and people growing up in Georgia on both sides of the aisle is I’m going to show them how they can be successful and pull themselves up by their bootstraps and overcome the hurdles that they’re doing.”