Billionaire Rick Jackson defeats Trump-backed candidate in Georgia governor’s primary

BREAKING NEWSJun. 17, 2026, 1:22 AM UTC2026 Election2026 ElectionBillionaire Rick Jackson defeats Trump-backed Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for the GOP nomination in Georgia governor’s raceNBC News projects that Jackson has won the primary runoff and will move on to the general election in the battleground state against Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson has advanced to the general election in Georgia.Elijah Nouvelage / Getty Images fileShareAdd NBC News to GoogleBy Adam EdelmanBillionaire businessman Rick Jackson won the Republican primary runoff in Georgia’s race for governor, NBC News projects, defeating President Donald Trump’s endorsed candidate, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Jackson, a healthcare executive and first-time candidate who poured more than $100 million of his own money into his campaign, will now face Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms in the November general election in the battleground state. The contest between Jackson and Jones, which went to a runoff after neither candidate won 50% of the vote in the May 19 primary, boiled down to a fierce battle for the MAGA base. For Jackson, that took on the form of comparing himself in ads and on the stump to Trump painting himself as a political outsider — even though he didn’t have the president’s official support. For Jones, that meant leaning heavily into highlighting the Trump’s “complete and total endorsement.”But ultimately, that support from Trump — which first came for Trump last August and was reiterated in tele-rallies and social media posts — wasn’t enough. Jones is only the second Trump-backed candidate to lose a Republican primary for governor this election cycle as the president has sought to put his stamp on the party across the country. An eleventh-hour endorsement from outgoing Gov. Brian Kemp on Sunday night,...