Rick Jackson Keeps Georgia Governor Race Toss-Up After $150 Million Spend as Trump Looms
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Oct 21
Rick Jackson Keeps Georgia Governor Race Toss-Up After $150 Million Spend as Trump Looms
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Oct 21
Summary
Nearly five-to-one spending by Rick Jackson has kept Georgia’s governor race close, but public polling still shows the Republican in a toss-up against former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Jackson’s campaign has become the GOP’s main bulwark in Georgia, with one Republican strategist saying his extra $150 million in general-election spending is the only reason the party is still competitive statewide.
That dependence reflects broader Republican weakness: allies fear races down the ballot would already be collapsing, and the Senate Leadership Fund went dark in Georgia last week as GOP Senate candidate Doug Collins trails Jon Ossoff.
Trump complicates Jackson’s path because he must energize Republican base voters without driving away centrists, likely requiring significant ticket-splitting from voters who back Ossoff for Senate but Jackson for governor.