Billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson defeated Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in Georgia’s Republican primary runoff for governor on June 16, securing the GOP nomination for a battleground state race that will test both parties’ strength in the fall. Jackson won with 53% of the vote to Jones’s 47%, according to NBC News projections, despite Jones holding endorsements from both President Donald Trump and outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp.
Jackson, who entered the race in February 2026 as a political newcomer, spent more than $100 million of his own wealth on his campaign, according to NBC News. He nearly tripled Jones’s ad spending since the start of the year and nearly quadrupled it since the May 19 primary, using ads that positioned him as a Trump-like outsider even without the former president’s formal backing.
The outcome marks a rare setback for Trump’s endorsement power in 2026. Jones is only the second Trump-backed candidate to lose a Republican primary for governor this election cycle, according to NBC News. Trump had endorsed Jones in August 2025 and reiterated his support through tele-rallies and social media posts leading into the runoff. Kemp’s last-minute endorsement on Sunday, days after early voting had closed, also failed to lift Jones to victory.
Jackson will advance to the November general election to face Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor. During his victory speech in Atlanta, Jackson highlighted his personal story of overcoming an abusive home and foster care system. “I know what it feels like to feel like nobody sees you, especially the elite and the powerful,” Jackson said, according to NBC News. “When you grow up the way I did, you never forget where you came from. You never forget the families who are working harder than ever, but still falling behind.”
The race boiled down to a contest for the MAGA base, with Jackson comparing himself to Trump in ads and on the stump, painting himself as a political outsider who didn’t owe special interests anything. In one ad, Jackson said: “Like President Trump, I don’t owe anybody anything, and like you, I’m sick of career politicians,” according to NBC News. Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) held campaign events for Jackson on the eve of the runoff, with Cruz emphasizing his outsider businessman status. Donald Trump Jr. praised Jackson on X as being among “the patriots building up MAGA,” though he stopped short of a formal endorsement.
Meanwhile, in Georgia’s Senate race, Trump’s endorsed candidate, Rep. Mike Collins, won his Republican primary runoff against former football coach Derek Dooley, demonstrating more success for Trump’s picks in that contest. The gubernatorial race, however, underscores the limits of Trump’s influence even among his core supporters when faced with a wealthy, self-funded challenger willing to spend heavily on his own campaign.
Sources
- NBC News — Jackson’s victory, the 53%-47% vote margin, his spending of over $100 million, Jones’s endorsements from Trump and Kemp, Jackson’s personal story and victory speech, ad spending comparison, and Trump’s endorsement track record in 2026
- Politico — Jackson’s spending of over $100 million and the costly primary battle
- WABE — Jackson as a billionaire healthcare executive defeating Jones and facing Bottoms in the general election
- Atlanta Journal-Constitution — Jackson winning despite Trump and Kemp endorsing Jones
- The Hill — Trump’s endorsement power being tested in the Georgia and Alabama runoffs
