UMVA has learned that former Georgia lieutenant governor Burt Jones clinched a spot in a June runoff for the state’s governor’s seat, even though President Trump’s endorsement wasn’t enough to secure an outright win.
In a crowded field of eight Republicans, Jones and billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson emerged as the top vote‑getters, each falling short of the 50 percent threshold that would have granted an immediate victory.
Jones, a former University of Georgia football captain, oil executive, and heir to a petroleum fortune, leveraged his long‑standing friendship with the former president, touting an “unbelievable” approval rating that still reverberates across the Peach State.
Jackson, a self‑made billionaire who poured more than $80 million of his own cash into the campaign, framed his bid as a business‑focused overhaul, saying he was inspired by Trump’s style of leadership and eager to become “the favorite governor” for the state.
The stark contrast between the two candidates sharpened the race: Jones painted Jackson as a political chameleon, accusing him of hidden donations to Democrats and anti‑Trump Republicans, while Jackson dismissed the attacks as “just lies” and positioned himself as the true outsider the electorate craves.
Both men now gear up for a high‑stakes showdown on June 16, a contest that could reshape Georgia’s political landscape and signal the next direction of the Republican movement in the South.
