Rick
Jackson

Jackson is officially listed as the Republican gubernatorial candidate opposite Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms on the November 3 ballot. Early voting is scheduled to begin October 13.

Reporting outlined Jackson's campaign repositioning, emphasizing his relationship with Kemp and distancing from Trump as the general election approaches.

AJC analysis noted Jackson's strategic shift away from his earlier 'Trump's favorite governor' branding toward alignment with the more popular Gov. Brian Kemp ahead of November.

At the debate, Bottoms cited an AJC-obtained audio recording in which Jackson allegedly told a supporter that Kemp was 'going to get the National Guard.' Jackson denied proposing deployment to monitor elections, calling the claim 'a complete falsehood.' Kemp's office said there were no plans for such a deployment.

At the debate, Jackson highlighted his alignment with Gov. Kemp rather than Trump, contrasting with his earlier promise to be 'Donald Trump's favorite governor' and a reported $2 million contribution to Trump's campaign.

Jackson and Bottoms faced off in an Atlanta News First town-hall-style debate in Atlanta, sparring over affordability, Medicaid, data centers, surveillance cameras, Trump, and election security.

Jackson said at the debate, 'I am going to expand Medicaid to cover everybody,' describing his approach as 'intelligent' expansion with work requirements. Reporting noted he did not explain how his proposal would avoid risking $4.5 billion in federal funding.

Kemp publicly urged voters to elect Jackson at a campaign rally in Forsyth, reinforcing his earlier endorsement of Jackson.

A late-September InsiderAdvantage survey showed Jackson leading Bottoms by two percentage points in the governor's race.

Jackson dropped his lawsuit challenging a fundraising tool used by former Republican primary opponent Burt Jones. The AJC reported Jackson's own leadership committee had since raised about $12 million, compared with $3.4 million for Bottoms' leadership committee.

A Big Data Poll conducted September 21–23 found Jackson leading among likely voters. With leaners included, the split was 50.5% Jackson to 49.5% Bottoms, within the poll's ±4 percentage point margin of error.

The AJC reported Jackson had spent at least $108 million of his own money through June, and that pro-Jackson groups had spent or reserved nearly $76 million in general-election airtime, compared with about $8 million for Bottoms and Democratic allies.

Jackson's veterans platform included a proposed Governor's Office of Military and Veteran Affairs, a 24-hour support hotline, expanded health-care providers for veterans, and a designation program for veteran-friendly businesses.

Norwood announced her endorsement, saying, 'I enthusiastically and unequivocally support Rick Jackson for governor of our state.'

Reporting noted Jackson maintained his campaign messaging even as national GOP figures derided political opponents as 'communist crazies.'

A Rasmussen Reports survey put Jackson at 48% and Bottoms at 45%, with 7% unsure, indicating a close race.

Jackson rolled out his five-point action plan, including a pledge to close the Medicaid coverage gap with 'intelligent' expansion. Details were to be worked out with the federal government and Georgia's legislature; reporting noted the plan's mechanics remained unclear.

Bottoms and Jackson traded hypocrisy claims over Georgia's data centers, with Bottoms challenging Jackson over his disclosed investment in a data-center developer and Jackson criticizing her record as Atlanta mayor.