You hear a lot these days about billionaires running for office. In Georgia, Republican Rick Jackson has spent nearly $200 million of his own money trying to become governor. He tells voters he understands struggle because he lived it. He was in foster care. He went hungry. Now he says he wants to use his fortune to help.
But his opponent, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, sees something else. She calls him a rich man trying to buy power. She says he would just be a follower for Donald Trump. This election asks a hard question. Can a billionaire with a softer style really connect with working people? Or is it just another version of the same politics?
Rick Jackson’s story is central to his campaign. He talks about it constantly. “My father left me at nine months old,” he said in their debate. “My mother was a sixth-grade educated waitress with a severe alcohol problem. I had seven stepfathers before I was 12. I lived in the projects, went to 13 different schools, and lived in five different foster homes.” He left college at 21 to start a business. That business became Jackson Healthcare. It provides contract nurses to hospitals. Many of those hospitals are public, funded by taxpayer money. That is how he built his wealth.
He uses this personal history to make a promise. “Let me tell you one thing,” he told a crowd in Cleveland, Georgia. “I will never abandon you.” He says his fortune is not really his. He calls it “God’s money.” His job, he says, is to have a “kingdom impact.” Spending $200 million on a campaign is part of that plan. He says he is doing it to “help 11 million Georgians.”
During the Republican primary, Jackson leaned hard into Trump’s style. He was not Trump’s endorsed candidate. That went to Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. But Jackson promised to “be like Trump, but with Southern tone.” He ran tough ads on immigration. One ad said, “I don’t care if you’re Muslim or Mongolian, you don’t have the right to force your culture on our country.” He promised that “criminal illegals” would be “deported or departed.”
After he won the primary runoff against Jones, those ads disappeared. A new ad featured his grandchildren. One child asks, “Granddad, why do you look so mean in these ads?” They tell him how to look cooler. The ad ends with a dressed-down Jackson saying, “Let’s make Georgia better together.” Another recent ad shows him getting emotional with young adults he helped through a foster care charity. He tells them, “I am so proud of you.”
On policy, Jackson offers standard Republican ideas. He pledges to cut taxes and regulations. He vows to halve the state income tax in four years. He says if he fails, he will not run for a second term. He wants a balanced budget and full audits, though Georgia law already requires a balanced budget and regular audits.
His healthcare plan is less clear. He says he will expand coverage without expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. He claims he can do it through private partnerships. This would require permission and money from Washington that no state has received without expanding traditional Medicaid. He also promises more money for teacher pay and vocational education.
His relationship with Trump has shifted as the general election nears. In July, at a rally with Trump, Jackson said he hoped to “be this guy’s favorite governor.” By mid-October, at another Trump event, Jackson did not mention the former president in his own speech. When Trump called him on stage, Jackson praised Trump for his advocacy for foster children. This weekend, Jackson will appear with Trump again at a rally in Perry.
Keisha Lance Bottoms attacks this balance. She says Jackson is “trying to buy this election.” She points to moments where he seems out of touch. In the debate, talking about trade schools, Jackson said, “my plumber drives a Mercedes.” Discussing crime in Atlanta, he referred to feeling unsafe “at the gas store.” When asked about the $7.25 minimum wage, he told a questioner, “Hopefully you’re not the one that is getting the $7.50 an hour.” Bottoms has proposed doubling the minimum wage. Jackson has proposed no increase. “My focus is creating jobs,” he said.
For some voters, Jackson’s story and his spending are enough. Debbie Satterfield, 72, attended a rally wearing both a Trump shirt and a Jackson sticker. “When I heard about his harsh upbringing and to hear how far he had climbed,” she said. “It reminds me of my life starting with nothing. You can see his soul.”
The race remains close. Jackson bets that his life story and his money can make voters see him as one of them. Bottoms bets they will see a wealthy man performing a part. On November 3, Georgia will decide.
- Rick Jackson’s spending on his campaign
- Keisha Lance Bottoms’ perspective on Jackson
- Jackson’s personal history and business background
- Policies promoted by both candidates
- Jackson’s relationship with Donald Trump
- Bottoms’ proposals regarding minimum wage
| Candidate | Key Policy | Campaign Spending |
|---|---|---|
| Rick Jackson | Cut taxes, expand coverage without expanding Medicaid | $200 million |
| Keisha Lance Bottoms | Propose doubling the minimum wage | N/A |
