Rick Jackson

Richard Lee Jackson (born March 16, 1954) He is the Republican nominee in the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election, after defeating President Trump-endorsed lieutenant governor Burt Jones in a primary runoff.

Early life and education Jackson has described a childhood in Midtown Atlanta marked by poverty and later time in the foster care system. He graduated from Greater Atlanta Christian School and attended Lipscomb University in Nashville to study business before dropping out due to financial difficulties.

Business career Jackson founded his first medical recruitment business in 1978. The company was converted to a nonprofit and made a subsidiary of Family Christian Resource Centers (FCRC), controlled by Jackson. A 2015 plan by Jackson to restructure FRS was opposed by the U.S. Trustee Office and initially rejected by a bankruptcy judge.

Jackson co-established Jackson Acquisitions, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), with Jeb Bush in 2021; Bush was chairman and Jackson was CEO. They dissolved the SPAC in 2023. The Internal Revenue Service sued Jackson Investment GroupLLC in 2024 for underreporting $72million in taxable income for 2019, seeking $38million. The IRS made the determination after disallowing expenses related to several philanthropic ventures.

Jackson Healthcare In 2000, he founded Jackson Healthcare, which provides healthcare staffing and workforce services. The company opened a new $100million campus in March 2019, designed by architectural firm Rule Joy Trammell Rubio (RJTR) and styled after an Italian piazza. Jackson Healthcare earned nearly $1billion from 2020 through 2026 most during the COVID-19 pandemic from various Georgia agencies through state contracts.

In 2021, Jackson Healthcare purchased USAntibiotics, an antibiotics manufacturer in Bristol, Tennessee. Jackson Healthcare is privately-held and reports more than $3billion in annual revenue.

Political career In the 2010s, Jackson funded an unsuccessful overhaul of Georgia medical malpractice claims, and wanted to privatize the state's foster care system. He successfully increased support for foster children. He has financially supported many Republican politicians, contributing millions to the Republican National Committee, state parties, and candidates. In December 2025, he gave $1million to Make America Great AgainInc., a super PAC that acts as Donald Trump's political organization.

2026 Georgia gubernatorial election

In February 2026, Jackson announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor of Georgia and said he would self-fund a major portion of his campaign. He wants to freeze Georgia's property tax and cut the state's income tax in half. Describing his stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in an interview with WSB-TV, Jackson said, "I believe in diversity and inclusion. I don't believe in equity. I don't believe in equal outcomes, period," calling the latter "communism".

He was endorsed in the primary and primary runoff by former Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, U.S. Senator Rick Scott, the Job Creators Network, and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.

On May19, 2026, Jackson received 32.5% of the vote in the Republican primary. Jackson defeated Burt Jones in a Republican runoff election on June16, 2026. Jones had been endorsed by President Trump and Governor Brian Kemp. Since winning the Republican nomination, both Trump and Kemp have supported Jackson. He will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election.

Personal life Jackson lives in Cumming, Georgia. He and his wife Melody have three children. Their son, Shane, is president of Jackson Healthcare, and another son, Chad, runs the Jackson Family Foundation.

Jackson co-produced the film 90Minutes in Heaven (2015). He is a Christian.