This week, Jackson and Jones went all in on gerrymandering following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais gutting the Voting Rights Act, with both candidates urging the state legislature to erode Georgians’ – particularly Black Georgians’ – access to fair representation.
With less than three weeks to go before the May 19 primary, here’s the latest on this vicious GOP race for governor:
JACKSON AND JONES GO ALL IN ON GERRYMANDERING: In the wake of the Supreme Court’s disastrous Louisiana v. Callais decision, Burt Jones and Rick Jackson both urged the state legislature to further erode Georgians’ – particularly Black Georgians’ – access to fair representation by redrawing Georgia’s maps.
- In statements posted on social media, Jones said that “the Supreme Court made the right decision today” and that he “fully support[s] redrawing our state’s legislative maps.”
- Jackson echoed this sentiment, doubling down on calling for a special session in which “redrawing the maps must be added to the agenda” and that “[t]here is no time to waste.”
- This decision underscores the importance of electing a Democratic governor this fall who would be able to veto such proposals that threaten to undermine our democracy.
JACKSON’S NO GOOD, VERY BAD DEBATE PERFORMANCE: Following a brutal GOP gubernatorial debate Monday, billionaire Rick Jackson is facing questions and scrutiny of his disastrous debate performance, which comes after months of dodging events.
- The AJC reported that “Jackson struggled through parts of the hourlong showdown, facing attacks not only from Jones but from other rivals eager to puncture his outsider image.” Fox News also reported on Jackson’s stumbles throughout the debate.
- The AJC’s Patricia Murphy said Wednesday that a response from Jackson about his hiring practices was “[o]ne of the truly bad answers in recent debate history” that will come back “to haunt Rick Jackson in Georgia.”
- The AJC reported that Trump-endorsed Jones “also didn’t escape unscathed.” Throughout the course of the debate, Jones “faced sharp accusations of his own” including allegations of corruption.
$100M LATER AND IT’S STILL…NECK-AND-NECK: A new exclusive AJC poll released Thursday revealed that “despite a staggering avalanche of ad spending and one of the ugliest intraparty fights in recent memory”, the race between Jones and Jackson is essentially tied.
- Even though Jackson has spent over $65 million on ads to destroy his Republican rival, the AJC reports that “all that firepower still hasn’t broken open the May 19 race yet.”
- Jones and Jackson have continued their online feud, with Jackson mocking Jones for “firing off unhinged texts” after The Dispatch reported Thursday that Jackson has lashed out at opponents and state legislators in newly revealed text messages.
- And Jones came out with a new ad Monday ahead of the debate entitled “Facelift,” mocking Jackson’s appearance and questioning Jackson’s agenda by saying that “You can change the face. But you can’t erase the record.”
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Covering this week’s brutal Republican debate, the AJC’s Greg Bluestein wrote: “You had to know the first and likely last debate featuring Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and billionaire healthcare executive Rick Jackson would be brutal. After all, the two Republicans have spent more than $80 million battering each other on the airwaves. But Monday’s Atlanta Press Club debate was even more ruthless than expected.”
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