Rick Jackson, a billionaire health care executive and newcomer to politics, defeated President Trump’s chosen candidate in Tuesday’s runoff to secure the Republican nomination for the Georgia governor’s race, The Associated Press said.
He beat Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who had endorsements from both Mr. Trump and Gov. Brian Kemp, sealing an unlikely victory after an extremely expensive and bruising primary. It marked the second time this month that a candidate backed by the president lost a Republican governor’s primary — Mr. Trump’s choice in Iowa, Representative Randy Feenstra, also came up short.
Mr. Jackson was largely unknown to Georgia voters just a few months ago, but he leveraged his wealth to fill the airwaves with ads that raised his profile and propelled him to the front of a crowded Republican field that included some of Georgia’s best-known statewide elected officials, such as Mr. Jones.
For his part, Mr. Jones’ notoriety may have worked against him. He was perhaps best known for his efforts after the 2020 election to overturn Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory in the state.
Mr. Jackson advances to a November contest against Keisha Lance Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, who won the Democratic primary outright in May. The outcome gave Ms. Bottoms a month’s head start to hone her pitch for the general election, which has focused on issues like affordability and voting rights and on attacking Mr. Trump.
Mr. Jackson faces the twin challenges of uniting Republicans after a deeply divisive primary and crafting a message that resonates with a general electorate that will not be as enamored with the president as Georgia’s Republican primary voters.
Mr. Jackson portrayed himself to the state’s Republican base as a homegrown version of Mr. Trump, who could apply lessons learned from running a successful business to running state government. He also spoke frequently about his humble origins, growing up in poverty with an alcoholic mother and spending time in foster care.
The election could be a test of the Republican Party’s dominance in Georgia. The party controls most statewide elected offices and has held the governor’s office for more than two decades. But Democrats hold both the state’s Senate seats, and the party is optimistic about its chances in the governor’s race, as well as the re-election campaign of Senator Jon Ossoff.
Still, Mr. Jackson has the benefit of deep pockets. He did not enter the race until February, seven months after Mr. Jones jumped in and won Mr. Trump’s endorsement. But he had long been prominent in the state’s business circles, and was a big donor in Republican politics.
He runs Jackson Healthcare, a company based in the Atlanta suburbs with a portfolio of medical businesses, including staffing services for physicians, nurses, physical and occupational therapists and pharmacists.
Having a political newcomer as their nominee presents both an opportunity for Georgia Republicans.
Some Republican primary candidates had roles in Mr. Trump’s scheme to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state, especially Mr. Jones, who was then a state senator. He tried to organize a special state legislative session to overturn Mr. Trump’s electoral loss and joined a fake Electoral College contingent from Georgia that sent its false votes to Washington as part of a multistate effort to try to derail the certification of Mr. Biden’s victory. On the governor’s campaign trail, he cast those efforts as a badge of honor
Still others had run afoul of the president by refusing to participate.
Mr. Jackson had no such baggage.
His opponent in the general election, Ms. Bottoms, also has a history that might turn off some voters: a single term as mayor that even some of her supporters regarded as having a disappointing finish. She decided not to run for a second term as Atlanta wrestled with problems that afflicted many big cities during the Covid-19 pandemic, including a surge in violence and crime.
But the race to November will shine an even brighter spotlight on Mr. Jackson than the one he faced in his first few months as a candidate. The election will bring more intense scrutiny to his finances and business dealings. He will also have to step into less friendly spaces to attract independent voters.
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