“We like to talk about conservative things. I’ve always been one of those. I’ve been a business-minded person that believed government ought to run more like a business. You’re never going to get it to run like a business but you can apply business principles to it to make it run better and more efficiently. I believe in lower taxes, less regulation, public safety, and I believe in an education system that gives people choices and teaches kids to think for themselves instead of forcing opinions on them. We should let them be independent thinkers,” said Burt Jones, Georgia Lieutenant Governor and Republican candidate for Governor, Wednesday morning in Douglas.
Jones took a tour of the area on Wednesday, making three stops in Douglas before visiting several other cities in the area. Jones is a native of Jackson and a graduate of Woodward Academy and the University of Georgia, where he joined the Bulldogs as a walk-on. He later earned a scholarship, was named special teams captain, and helped Georgia win an SEC championship in 2002.
After graduating from Georgia, Jones returned home to Jackson where he went to work for the family business – Jones Petroleum Company. Later, he started his own business, JP Capital, and has enjoyed a successful and profitable career as an independent businessman.
Jones got into local politics in Jackson. That turned into a bid for state senate in 2013, which he won and served until he ran for lieutenant governor in 2024. The 2026 Republican gubernatorial field is a crowded one; Attorney General Chris Carr and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are the other major candidates. Several other not-so-well-known candidates have also said they would run.
While in Douglas, Jones touted his place of birth, emphasizing that he is the only candidate in the race who is not from Atlanta. “I’m the only one that was born and raised outside of metro Atlanta, in a rural community. I grew up on a cattle farm right there in Butts County. Everybody else I’m running against, Republican and Democrat, are all from Atlanta. I tell people all the time that there are two very different looking regions of the state. For somebody who’s not from Atlanta, it’s hard to explain to them about our healthcare needs, our education needs, our transportation needs. I think it’s important that you have somebody who understands the whole state and I think I bring that to the table unlike any other person who’s running,” said Jones.
The lieutenant governor also discussed President Donald Trump’s endorsement of his candidacy. “I’ve been friends with the president a long time. I was on his team early, in 2015. When I called to let him know that I was announcing that I would run for governor, he picked up the phone on the first ring. He picks up and says, ‘How’s my favorite governor?’” recalled Jones. He continued, stating that President Trump offered to endorse his candidacy immediately: “I’m going to make the best endorsement. You’re going to love it. It’s going to be the best thing ever.”
Jones added another Trump anecdote: “It might feel like it’s a lot of noise but it’s really about trying to put the American people first. And it’s about putting American agriculture first, American manufacturing first, and the American worker first. I think that’s needed. That’s what we’ve been doing here in Georgia, trying to put Georgians first. We’re going to continue to do that. And it’d be good to have a good partnership with the White House.”