An announcement made on February 3, 2026 then an event held two days later sent shockwaves through Georgia politics. Billionaire businessman Rick Jackson released a statement that he intended to run for governor of Georgia on the Republican ticket. Then, on February 5, 2026, he held his first campaign event, announcing that he was putting up $50 million of his own estimated $3 billion fortune to fund his campaign.
At that point, the campaign was well underway. The Republican primary was set and had been for some time. The most prominent names were Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr. Jackson’s announcement wasn’t a press release he issued in which he quietly entered the race. It wasn’t a footnote to join an already crowded field.
Instead, Jackson stormed the party and kicked down the door. And almost immediately, he became a factor.
Up until that time, most pundits considered the election Jones’s to lose. He was the heir apparent. His resume includes a stint as a state senator, lieutenant governor, he played football at the University of Georgia, and he has President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
But once Jackson entered the race, the foothold that Jones had on the election didn’t seem so firm.
During this election cycle, most of the Republican gubernatorial candidates have come through Coffee County. Last weekend, it was Jackson’s turn. He hosted a campaign event at The Atrium. He met with supporters and spent a few minutes speaking with DouglasNow, in much the same way that Jones and Raffensperger have.
It helps to keep in mind that all of the frontrunners in the election (and any state or national election, for that matter) are ultra-wealthy. State and national politics are not a poor man’s game. When he was in town, Raffensperger didn’t mention his wealth (his net worth is listed as nearly $92 million). Jones, whose net work is hard to pin down but is officially listed as $10-11 million, tried to distance himself from questions regarding his financial security (and that of his father, whose net worth is also significant).
Jackson, however, took a different approach. “I’ve been blessed by God,” he said. “The money that I’ve been blessed with is God’s money, not mine. Since 2008, I’ve been doing nothing but giving away money in order to make a Kingdom impact. I want to impact everyone who doesn’t have a voice.”
Jackson grew up in the foster care system and, despite the struggles he faced as a child, built a successful business and a significant fortune. A common theme when talking to Jackson is giving a voice to those who don’t have one. “There is a big population of people who just do not have representation. The reason I’m doing this is to have an impact and give a voice to people who can’t afford a lobbying group from special interests. I couldn’t care less. I don’t need anybody’s money. I don’t need the title. I don’t think there’s anything I could do the rest of my life to have a direct impact on 10 or 11 million Georgians. And that’s my goal in life. I’m doing this to actually help people who need help the most.”
In Douglas, Jackson reinforced the messages he has been promoting in his television ads and campaign mailers: He’s outsider, he wants to make Georgia safe and affordable, support law enforcement, fight illegal immigration, and support children in the foster care system.
He is also pro-agriculture and would like to use his business acumen to help the state’s farmers. “I’m not going to forget farmers. I’m going to get involved in solving the business problem that farmers have. Period. And I have a lot of ideas. I don’t think they have anybody who understands that at the end of the day, farming is a business. It has inputs and outputs. I have a lot of solutions for that. I’m not going to forget about our farmers. I can guarantee you that.”
When asked what his take-home message is, Jackson stated the following: “I’m running to represent those who have no representation. I’m a business person, an outsider who can’t be bought. I’m running to reduce taxes. I’m a conservative. I’m going to freeze property taxes and I’m going to make Georgia the number one worst place in the world to be a criminal, especially someone who is here illegally.”
