Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones is criticizing rival Rick Jackson’s campaign spending as the billionaire breaks state records in the final stretch of a tight runoff for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Jones’ campaign has released a new ad targeting Jackson’s spending, saying “Rick Jackson is everywhere – spending over $100 million trying to buy our vote,” and “But Georgia is not for sale.”
Background
Jackson, a former healthcare executive, has leveraged his personal fortune to elbow into the race, dropping tens of millions of dollars on ads and mailers to place himself in front of voters. He finished just 6 points behind Jones in the first round of the GOP primary last month, beating out well-known Georgia officials like Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr.
Entering the weekend, Jackson had given his campaign more than $100 million and ranked as the second-biggest advertiser of the 2026 election cycle, breaking Georgia gubernatorial campaign records while spending $90 million on advertising. Jones, a multimillionaire whose family found success in the petroleum industry, has also contributed to spiraling totals, loaning his campaign $25 million and spending more than $35 million on advertising.
Analysis
Charles Bullock, a professor of political science at the University of Georgia, cautions that it “hasn’t worked out well” for many wealthy, self-funding candidates in Georgia. He points to the example of former Sen. Kelly Loeffler’s high-profile runoff loss in 2021 and Guy Millner, a multimillionaire businessman who ran twice for governor and once for US senator as a Republican in the 1990s, losing all three races.
Meanwhile, Democrats view the prolonged GOP runoff as a meaningful advantage, leaving whichever potential rival that emerges bruised and drained. The former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms, has had a free hand to consolidate her support and begin her general election campaign, partnering with Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
