Billionaire Rick Jackson spends $50 million in self-funded blitz for Georgia GOP gubernatorial primary

Billionaire Rick Jackson has spent $50 million of his own money on his campaign for Georgia's GOP gubernatorial primary, turning himself from an unknown into a frontrunner. The spending blitz has made the race one of the most expensive on record and puts Jackson in a tight race with Trump-endorsed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. The rivalry includes a lawsuit over campaign finance, while Jackson faces scrutiny over his companies receiving nearly $1 billion in state contracts.

Jackson self-funded ad spending

• ▪As of April 6, media research firm AdImpact ranked Rick Jackson as the fourth-highest political ad spender nationwide.
• ▪Republican candidates in the Georgia race have spent $99.2 million on ads, while Democratic candidates have spent $1.2 million.
• ▪Billionaire Rick Jackson has spent $50 million of his own money on his campaign for the Georgia GOP gubernatorial primary.
• ▪The Georgia gubernatorial primary has become one of the most expensive on record, with candidates spending a total of $100.5 million.
• ▪Rick Jackson's spending makes him the leading Republican ad spender nationwide in the 2025-2026 election cycle.

Georgia GOP primary polling

• ▪Rick Jackson's primary opponent, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, is endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
• ▪Polling for the May 19 primary is mixed, with March polls showing Rick Jackson leading by 8-15 points and others showing Burt Jones ahead by 7-10 points.
• ▪Rick Jackson's ad spending has turned him from an unknown candidate into a frontrunner in the Georgia GOP primary against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.

Jones-Jackson campaign finance lawsuit

• ▪A judge ruled against Burt Jones regarding the operation of his campaign's leadership committee finances.
• ▪Rick Jackson's campaign filed a lawsuit against Burt Jones, alleging Jones's leadership committee allows for unlimited campaign contributions.
• ▪A PAC named Georgians for Integrity, which has attacked Burt Jones, is said by rivals to be effectively backing Rick Jackson.

Jackson state contract conflicts

• ▪A Healthbeat analysis suggests Rick Jackson would likely need to separate his businesses from state agencies to avoid conflicts of interest if he becomes governor.
• ▪Jackson Healthcare, Rick Jackson's company, includes subsidiaries that received $10 million from the Department of Community Health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• ▪Companies owned by Rick Jackson have been paid nearly $1 billion by Georgia state agencies through government contracts since 2020.

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