It’s official. Georgia voters will have a choice between a billionaire and a former Atlanta mayor who might make Union Gen. William T. Sherman blush and who couldn’t stick around for a second term to serve as the state’s next governor.
Healthcare executive Rick Jackson defeated Lt. Governor Burt Jones to win the Republican gubernatorial nomination, capping a heated campaign that brought millions in revenue to the United States Postal Service and local broadcasters thanks to an endless barrage of mailers and advertisements.
Now, Jackson faces off against former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who was derided for her response to violence in the city during protests in 2020 following the death of George Floyd. Some protests escalated into riots, leading to property destruction and the burning of police cruisers.
Many pundits blame Bottoms’ response to the violence for her decision not to seek a second term. After leaving City Hall, she held a nondescript role in the Biden administration, and her tenure helped fuel an unsuccessful push to have Atlanta’s Buckhead community deannex from the city.
“Keisha Lance Bottoms is a radical nut job who defunded the police, shuttered small businesses, and put criminals first,” Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said in a statement. “Georgians don’t want a repeat of Bottoms’ failures and Republicans will send her into permanent retirement this November.”
For their part, the libs wasted no time, firing off talking points claiming that Jackson is only out to enrich himself.
“With gas prices soaring and living expenses out of control, the GOP nominee for governor is Rick Jackson, an out-of-touch billionaire who doesn’t even pretend to care about the issues facing Georgians,” Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey said in a statement. “He’s consistently reminded Georgians that he’s only out for himself, pocketing over a billion dollars in state contracts and bragging about his profits from the same policies that are raising costs for Georgians.”
However, most experts say suspending the gas tax is a short-sighted decision that would impact the state’s ability to fund road projects.
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