Trump Congratulates Rick Jackson on Winning Georgia GOP Governor Runoff

Jackson, founder of Jackson Healthcare, defeated Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in a closely watched Republican primary runoff and will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in November.

GEORGIA — Donald J.Trumpposted on Truth Social on June 17, 2026 at 12:02 AM EST, posted on Truth Social on June 17, 2026, by mentioning the source (see truthsocial), congratulatingRick Jacksonon winning the Republican runoff for Georgia governor. Trump wrote that Jackson “very successfully campaigned on being “TRUMP,” and won,” adding, “He will be your next Governor of Georgia. Can’t wait!” Jackson, the 72-year-old founder and leader of Jackson Healthcare, a privately held healthcare staffing company based in Alpharetta, Georgia, with more than $3 billion in annual revenue, defeated Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the runoff after neither candidate secured a majority in the May 19 primary (see Google). With 86 percent of the vote counted late Tuesday, Jackson led Jones 52.7 percent to 47.3 percent, according to The Associated Press (see Google). The two candidates together spent over $138.6 million through the runoff period, with Jackson’s spending accounting for roughly 78 percent of that total — nearly $108 million, largely self-funded through personal contributions to his campaign. Jackson ran on a platform of freezing Georgia’s property tax and cutting the state’s income tax in half, while aligning himself closely with Trump’s political brand (see wikipedia.org). He had given $1 million to Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC that acts as Trump’s political organization, in December 2025. Jackson secured endorsements from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator Rick Scott, and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr during the primary campaign. The Republican Governors Association quickly congratulated Jackson on the projected victory. “As a businessman and job creator, Jackson understands firsthand what it takes to grow a business, create opportunity, and strengthen communities across Georgia,” said RGA Chair Gov. Greg Gianforte (see rga.org). The Democratic Governors Association struck a sharply different tone, with Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper saying, “Rick Jackson is only out for himself — not Georgia,” and accusing him of seeking office to enrich himself. Jackson will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former mayor of Atlanta, in the November general election. His victory underscores Trump’s continued influence in shaping Republican primaries at the state level; in the last 30 days, 119 of Trump’s 699 Truth Social posts have focused on the sub-topic of 2024 and 2026 elections and candidate endorsements. The Georgia governor’s race is expected to be one of the most closely watched and expensive gubernatorial contests of the 2026 cycle, with both parties signaling they intend to invest heavily in the general election fight.

Source: Zenger analysis

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