Today, Trump-endorsed Burt Jones took to the floor of the Georgia State Senate to blast GOP rival Rick Jackson’s billion-dollar health care company, calling it the “culprit of our health care costs in this state more than tripling” and accusing it of “monopolizing” the health care industry.
Jones’ attack – which he made in his capacity as Lieutenant Governor and President of the Senate – was a particularly “rare step” that highlights how nasty this Republican primary has become and how quickly the gloves are coming off between the candidates.
WATCH BURT JONES ATTACK RICK JACKSON’S BUSINESS DEALINGS:
Jones’ eye-popping remarks were part of a legislative push to prevent candidates with state contracts from running for state office, which the AJC previously reported “would make billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson ineligible to run for governor.” This comes as Jones has repeatedly hammered Jackson for pocketing “over $1 billion in state contracts on the backs of Georgia taxpayers.”
In response to these attacks, Jackson’s campaign fired back, saying that “the walls are closing in on [Jones’] corrupt behavior” and now “he’s melting down on the Senate floor and telling more lies.” Jackson’s campaign also added: “Daddy’s baby needs his bottle and a nap.”
This fiery back-and-forth underscores just how nasty this GOP primary has gotten, especially as Jones and Jackson have committed to spending over $65 million to destroy each other in a nasty ad war playing out on airwaves across the state. It’s gotten so bad that this primary has been called a “spectacular MAGA breakup rocking Georgia,” and it’s widely expected that this primary battle will get even uglier and more expensive ahead of the May 19 primary.
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