Business owner Rick Jackson launches Republican bid for Georgia governor

ATLANTA — Health care business owner Rick Jackson announced his Republican run for governor in Georgia on Tuesday, shaking up a field of candidates that had seemed settled for months.

Jackson is bidding to succeed Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who can't run again because he's term-limited. He's vying with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who has already been endorsed by President Donald Trump, as well as with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr.

Jackson dismissed them as ''career politicians'' who ''are going to do nothing, get rich and keep you in the dark.'' By contrast, he called himself ''a real-life conservative who knows how to fight the tough fights and win big for Georgia.''

Jackson is pledging to spend $50 million of his own money on his campaign. His entry comes after a shadowy entity called ''Georgians for Integrity'' has spent more than $13 million since November on television ads, mailers, texts and social media posts attacking Jones — considered by many the GOP front-runner — on claims that he's using his office to enrich himself. The ads make misleading assertions about Jones' record and Jones has dismissed them as ''fabricated trash.''

Jackson campaign spokesperson Lance Trover denied Tuesday that Jackson funded the attack ads.

A four-candidate Republican field could make a June 16 runoff more likely if no one wins a majority in the May 19 primary. On the Democratic ballot, seven candidates are seeking the governor's nomination in May, hoping to wrest control of the governor's office back from the GOP after 24 years.

Jackson is touting a sharply conservative message and rags-to-riches background, including a launch video that profiles his rise from foster care to running Jackson Healthcare, one of the largest health care staffing firms nationwide. He pledged support for ''criminal deportations'' and promised to purge schools of ''woke ideology," while banning diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Like Jones and Raffensperger, Jackson brings personal wealth to the race. Health care providers nationwide hire Jackson Healthcare to provide them with doctors, nurses and other medical professionals that Jackson employs. The company also helps health care providers find permanent employees and consulting with them on staffing. In 2021, Jackson also bought US Antibiotics, a Bristol, Tennessee, company that says it's the only American manufacturer of two top antibiotics. Privately owned, Jackson Healthcare reports more than $3 billion in yearly revenue.

The Jackson campaign has already committed to more than $1.2 million in ad spending on television alone in the next week, as he seeks to make a splash with 14 weeks remaining before the primary, according to figures obtained by The Associated Press. Jackson said he would spend an initial $40 million on advertising.

Jackson said he's a billionaire and bragged about making a $1 million donation to Trump, saying ''Trump's success inspired me to do this for Georgia.'' But he's been a big donor in Georgia Republican circles for more than a decade. Among the past beneficiaries of his donations are Carr, Raffensperger and former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who's now running for governor as a Democrat after Duncan fell out with Trump over the president's attempts to overturn Georgia's 2020 election.

As one example of his influence, Kemp touted Jackson Healthcare's involvement in providing doctors and nurses to Georgia's hospitals during the pandemic. Jackson also takes credit for a law that provides free college tuition, room and board for students who were in foster care or placed for adoption by Georgia's child welfare agency.

Jackson has given money to some people who have opposed Trump, including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in 2015. Jones spokesperson Kayla Lott was dismissive of the idea that Jackson could threaten Jones' support, saying: ''The never-Trump lane just got way more expensive and way more crowded.''

''Chris is who he has always been: a proven conservative leader with a record of results and the credibility to unite voters across Georgia,'' spokesperson Julia Mazzone said in a statement.