The Cook Political Report: Georgia GOP Primary a “Toss-Up” Between Two Megarich MAGA Candidates

The Cook Political Report: Georgia GOP Primary a “Toss-Up” Between Two Megarich MAGA Candidates

GOP candidates’ MAGA campaigns “could backfire in an anti-Trump environment in the swing state this fall”

New reporting from The Cook Political Report details how billionaire Rick Jackson’s entrance into Georgia’s gubernatorial primary has turned the primary into a “toss-up” with two MAGA-aligned candidates spending millions on air to align themselves with Donald Trump. Both Trump-endorsed Burt Jones and newcomer Rick Jackson are running to be Trump’s man in Georgia – with Jackson enthusiastically saying he wants to be “Trump’s favorite governor.”

As Cook notes, it’s a risky strategy that “could backfire in an anti-Trump environment in the swing state this fall.” Because of the Trump administration’s economic policies, Georgia led the nation in layoffs last month and has seen health care costs skyrocket, 190,000 ACA enrollees lose coverage, and the closure of a maternal health care unit in the state. Yet Jackson and Jones – and the entire Republican gubernatorial field – have enthusiastically embraced this deeply unpopular agenda, putting them out of step with Georgia voters.

Check out more from The Cook Political Report reporting here or read more below:

The Cook Political Report: Flush With Cash, Businessmen Try to Upend GOP Primaries for Governor in Georgia and Michigan

KEY EXCERPTS:

• True surprises are rare in politics these days, but Jackson’s entrance into the race for governor two weeks ago certainly qualifies as one. Jackson has said he will spend at least $50 million of his own money on the contest. […]

• “Like President Trump, I don’t owe anybody anything,” Jackson says in the biographical spot. “And like you, I’m sick of career politicians.” In another nod to Trump, Jackson rode a glass elevator en route to his announcement rally, akin to the gold escalator the president famously descended in June 2015. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has also endorsed Jackson.

• There may have been hints that a dark horse candidate was waiting in the wings. Last November, a dark money group called Georgians for Integrity launched a $14 million attack against Jones for allegedly enriching himself and his family while in office. Jackson has claimed he did not fund the ads.

• Despite his own family’s wealth, his ability to self-fund and $19 million across his campaign and leadership committees, Jones didn’t begin airing ads himself until last week — after Jackson’s entrance. That led some to speculate that the lieutenant governor had taken Trump’s endorsement for granted and squandered his early advantage. Jones’ first ad reminds voters of Trump’s blessing.

• Georgia sources now tell us the race is a toss up between the two men. […]

• Jackson also seems ill-content with letting Jones paint himself as the only true pro-Trump candidate. He’s notably running ads in both the Washington, D.C., and Palm Beach media markets, aimed at an audience of one — clearly hoping that Trump may reconsider his backing of Jones or perhaps even issue a dual endorsement.

• Jones has also attacked Jackson for only recently donating $1 million to Trump’s affiliated super PAC, arguing he’s only now transformed into a MAGA conservative in order to win this contest. In an interview Wednesday with the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Jackson admitted he may be “late to the party,” but so were now-Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “I’ll take that hit, but there’s no bigger supporter of Trump right now than I am.” 

• […] the wealthy newcomer works to underscore his support for Trump in the primary, it couldbackfire in an anti-Trump environment in the swing state this fall.

Read the entire piece at The Cook Political Report.

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