Rick Jackson
Republican candidate for Governor, Georgia · Open seat
Founder of Jackson Healthcare, a health care staffing company
Rick Jackson is an Atlanta native and the founder of Jackson Healthcare, an Alpharetta-based health care staffing company. He has never held elected office. He announced his campaign for governor in February 2026, beat Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the June 16 Republican primary runoff, and now faces Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms on November 3, 2026, in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp.
Where Jackson stands
- Income tax
- Proposes cutting Georgia's state income tax in half within four years and working toward eliminating it within eight. He has pledged not to run for reelection if he fails to deliver the cut. He says growth and lower government costs would offset the lost revenue.
- Property tax
- Supports freezing increases in the home valuations that drive property tax bills. Proposes requiring developers to pay the infrastructure costs tied to their projects.
- Gas tax and energy costs
- Proposes automatically suspending the state gas tax for 60 days when prices spike sharply, set off by a rise of at least 35 cents in 7 days or 75 cents in 30 days. Supports ending state taxes on home electricity and natural gas.
- Taxes on tips
- Supports ending state income taxes on tips.
- Education
- Campaigns on early literacy and has pledged to raise teacher pay and push for more career education programs.
- Public safety
- Proposes more support for law enforcement.
- Foster care
- Backed a 2022 Georgia law that gives tax credits for donations supporting young people leaving foster care. As of July 2026, his campaign had not said whether he would revive an earlier proposal to partly privatize the child welfare system.
Background
- Founder of Jackson Healthcare, Alpharetta, Ga.; in 1976 bought the secretarial staffing company where he worked
- No prior elected office; 2026 is his first run
- Won the 2026 Republican nomination for governor in the June 16 primary runoff
- Attended David Lipscomb College (now Lipscomb University) but did not finish; later took a small-business course at Georgia State University
- Grew up in Atlanta, including time in five foster homes
- Philanthropy includes foster care causes and Giving Films
- Lives in Cumming, Ga.
In the news
- Rick Jackson campaigns across Middle Georgia; Jackson campaign continues to dodge 41NBC's interview request 41NBC, October 22, 2026
- Bottoms, Jackson enter homestretch of Georgia governor's race WABE, October 21, 2026
- Jackson outlines vision for Georgia in bid for governor WTOC, October 20, 2026
- Georgia governor: Keisha Lance Bottoms, Rick Jackson The Current, October 16, 2026
- Georgia governor candidate profile: Rick Jackson FOX 5 Atlanta, October 12, 2026
Also running for Governor
- Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic
Sources
Last researched October 22, 2026. Written in neutral language from the sources above. Spot an error? See how to report it.