Georgia lieutenant governor launches bid to succeed Kemp
'Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has brought real conservative leadership that has protected our freedoms, our values and our families, and Burt Jones has worked closely with President Trump, helping Georgia make America great again,' says a narrator in the more than two-minute ad Jones posted to announce his bid.
Jones said in the ad that his campaign priorities would be eliminating the state income tax, ending the fentanyl crisis and making sure transgender women aren't allowed to play in women's sports leagues.
'And if anyone doesn't like that, they can move to California,' Jones says in the ad.
Jones joins Attorney General Chris Carr in vying for the GOP nod for the governor's race next year. The first-term lieutenant governor and former state senator is a Trump ally who was among a slate of more than a dozen fake electors in 2020 that sought to certify Trump as the winner in the Peach State, looking to overturn former President Biden's win.
Fulton County District Attorney General Fani Willis (D), who initially investigated Trump and Republicans' efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the state, was disqualified from investigating Jones, given her involvement fundraising for Jones's 2022 Democratic challenger, Charlie Bailey.
Jones ultimately was not charged from the probe.
Jones will be vying for the president's endorsement, though Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) also could run — potentially pitting two Trump allies against each other.
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger could also make a run for the seat or run for Senate instead, opening the door to a potentially crowded field next year.
Democrats have yet to coalesce around a candidate. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson and former pastor Olu Brown have all launched bids for the seat.
Yet, that field could also be joined by two-time gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams or former GOP Lt. Gov. George Duncan, who's been vocally critical of Trump.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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