Billionaire Rick Jackson won the Republican gubernatorial runoff in Georgia on June 16, 2026, defeating Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Jackson secured 53% of the vote to Jones' 47% when the Associated Press called the race [1, 2, 3, 4].
Jackson, a 72-year-old political newcomer who made his fortune building Jackson Healthcare, a $3 billion revenue healthcare staffing company, spent more than $100 million of his own money on the runoff campaign, breaking state spending records for a gubernatorial primary runoff [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Political analyst Dr. Charles S. Bullock III noted, "If there’s one thing he’s proven, it’s that you can buy a third of the Republican primary vote" [3].
The runoff followed the May 2026 primary where no candidate won a majority: Jones led with 38% and Jackson finished second with 34% [1, 2]. Jones received last-minute endorsements from Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and former President Trump before the runoff, but Jackson's campaign secured support from Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who campaigned with him shortly before the vote [1, 2, 4, 5].
Despite initially backing Jones, President Trump congratulated Jackson on social media the day after the runoff, praising his campaign as "a great TRUMP Campaign. Very smart!" Jackson said he was "inspired by President Trump" and planned to be "Trump's favorite governor" because of their shared approach to business and problem-solving [2, 4].
Jackson formally announced his candidacy on February 3, 2026, running as an outsider promising to cut taxes and fix healthcare in Georgia [3]. He described wanting to bring business solutions to the state in a similar way to Trump's handling of the federal government [4].
Jackson will face Democrat and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms in the November 2026 general election for governor of Georgia [1, 2, 4]. The runoff outcome marked a significant GOP upset as Trump-backed candidates won two other runoff races in Alabama and Georgia Senate contests but lost this key gubernatorial race [5].
