# Governor — 2026 Candidates — The GA Files > Where the 2026 candidates for Georgia Governor stand — bio, prior offices, top donors, positions on DEI, LGBTQ+, abortion, and data centers, plus any scandals. Sourced. *Source: https://thegafiles.com/candidates/governor.html · The GA Files (thegafiles.com)* --- [← 2026 Candidates](https://thegafiles.com/candidates.html) # Governor [ Fact-check The Mud & The Facts: a race scorecard · Every major attack line in this race — from both camps — held to one standard: what's true, what's mangled, and the defense each side deserves. Sourced. → ](https://thegafiles.com/candidates/governor-scorecard.html) D ### Keisha Lance Bottoms Democratic nominee Attorney and former 60th Mayor of Atlanta (2018–2022), the daughter of R&B singer Major Lance. A Florida A&M and Georgia State Law graduate, she later served as a senior advisor to President Biden. She won the 2026 Democratic primary outright with about 57% of the vote. #### Previously held - Mayor of Atlanta (2018–2022) - Atlanta City Council, District 11 (2010–2018) - Atlanta magistrate judge - Senior Advisor to President Biden — White House Office of Public Engagement (2022–2023) #### Top contributors A small-dollar, grassroots profile — her campaign reports roughly 7,100 donors with about 92% giving under $100, supplemented by some personal funds, with no dominant large-donor or industry-PAC list. Endorsed by Georgia Equality. See the current GA Ethics total below. - $40,009.00 — Walker, Justin (Atlanta, GA) - $26,400.00 — Cox, Richard (Marietta, GA) - $26,400.00 — Perry, Tyler (Atlanta, GA) - $26,400.00 — Ramsey, Simon (Stone Mountain, GA) - $26,400.00 — Bekele, Gelila (New York, NY) - $26,400.00 — Cox, Gregia (Marietta, GA) - $26,000.00 — Meezy Entertainment LLC (Mcdonough, GA) **$2,936,971** raised · **$436,359** cash on hand — as of **Jun 4, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing). Source: [Atlanta News First — $1M+ haul](https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/2025/07/02/democrats-esteves-bottoms-tout-1m-fundraising-hauls-governors-race/) · [Transparency USA (GA filings)](https://www.transparencyusa.org/ga) #### Where they stand Education Pro–public education. Her plan would raise average starting teacher pay from $43,000 to $60,000, exempt teachers from state income tax, expand the state's pre-K program, and make technical and community college free. Source: [AJC — where Bottoms stands](https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/04/keisha-lance-bottoms-a-look-at-the-ajcs-coverage/) · [CBS Atlanta](https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/keisha-lance-bottoms-outlines-health-care-education-priorities-after-decisive-georgia-primary-victory/) Healthcare Supports expanding Medicaid — she says full expansion would cover roughly 300,000 Georgians and help keep rural hospitals open — and would also work to lower premiums and create a prescription-drug affordability board. Source: [CBS Atlanta](https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/keisha-lance-bottoms-outlines-health-care-education-priorities-after-decisive-georgia-primary-victory/) · [AJC — where Bottoms stands](https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/04/keisha-lance-bottoms-a-look-at-the-ajcs-coverage/) Minimum Wage Has built her economic message around affordability and wages — cracking down on corporate landlords and lowering household costs — but has not put forward a specific minimum-wage figure; Georgia's floor remains the federal $7.25. Source: [Issues — Keisha for Governor](https://www.keishaforgovernor.com/issues) · [Georgia Dept. of Labor — minimum wage](https://dol.georgia.gov/minimum-wage) Homelessness Approaches it through housing supply and affordability: a “Georgia Housing Fast Track” to speed permitting, an affordable-housing trust fund, down-payment and renter assistance, and curbs on corporate landlords — and she names veteran homelessness as a state priority. Source: [Issues — Keisha for Governor](https://www.keishaforgovernor.com/issues) Veterans Affairs A signature plank — she pledges to make Georgia “the best state in the country for veterans and military families,” translating military experience into civilian credentials, fast-tracking veteran hiring into state jobs, offering tax relief for veterans and military retirees, and treating veteran housing, mental health, and suicide prevention as priorities. Source: [Issues — Keisha for Governor](https://www.keishaforgovernor.com/issues) Immigration Has not laid out a detailed immigration platform; she has run broadly against the Trump/MAGA agenda rather than on enforcement, keeping the focus on affordability, health care, and abortion rights. Source: [Capital B News](https://atlanta.capitalbnews.org/keisha-lance-bottoms-rick-jackson-georgia-governor-race/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Keisha_Lance_Bottoms) Gun Control Supports gun-safety measures. As Atlanta mayor she joined a bipartisan coalition of mayors pressing Congress to enact “commonsense gun safety legislation.” Source: [City of Atlanta — mayors' gun-safety letter](https://www.atlantaga.gov/Home/Components/News/News/13116) · [OnTheIssues — Bottoms](https://www.ontheissues.org/Keisha_Lance_Bottoms.htm) Abortion Supports abortion rights and opposes Georgia's six-week ban; she has spotlighted ProPublica reporting linking the ban to a preventable maternal death in Georgia. Source: [KLB on ProPublica reporting (X)](https://x.com/KeishaBottoms/status/1836164928845046178) LGBTQ+ Supportive. She formed Atlanta's first LGBTQ+ Advisory Board in 2018, and Georgia Equality made her its first gubernatorial endorsement of the cycle. Source: [Rough Draft Atlanta](https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/05/28/georgia-equality-endorses-bottoms/) DEI Pro-DEI. As mayor she created Atlanta's first Office of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion; she is campaigning explicitly against the Trump administration's federal DEI rollback. Source: [Capital B News](https://atlanta.capitalbnews.org/keisha-lance-bottoms-georgia-governor-trump/) Marijuana Has not put forward a statewide legalization plan as a candidate, but her record leans toward reform — as Atlanta mayor she suspended pre-employment marijuana screening for non-safety city jobs, during a period when the city had decriminalized small-amount possession. Georgia still permits only low-THC medical cannabis. Source: [Cannabis in Georgia — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Georgia_(U.S._state)) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Keisha_Lance_Bottoms) Data centers Calls for a moratorium on new data-center approvals pending a study of their water and utility-bill impacts, saying the state has “absolutely moved too fast.” Gov. Kemp called the idea “insane.” Source: [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-06-03/georgia-s-kemp-rips-democrat-s-insane-bid-to-halt-data-centers) · [Washington Examiner](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/state/4594967/kemp-warn-lance-bottoms-anti-data-center/) #### Scandals ##### $37,000 state ethics fine (campaign finance) Fined by the state campaign-finance commission; resolved. Georgia's campaign-finance commission fined Bottoms $37,000 over violations tied to her earlier campaigns — accepting roughly $6,900 over contribution limits and $110,797 over debt limits, and using an incorrect accounting method. Source: [FOX 5 Atlanta](https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/campaign-finance-commission-fines-mayor-keisha-lance-bottoms-37000) [Campaign site](https://www.keishaforgovernor.com/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Keisha_Lance_Bottoms) R ### Rick Jackson Republican nominee Founder and CEO of Jackson Healthcare in Alpharetta, one of Georgia's largest health-care staffing firms. He grew up in Atlanta's Techwood Homes public housing and spent time in foster care as a teen — a “foster care to billionaire” arc central to his campaign. A first-time candidate and Trump ally, he poured more than $100 million of his own money into the race and beat Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the June 16 GOP runoff. #### Previously held - None — first run for public office - Founder & CEO, Jackson Healthcare (1978–present) #### Top contributors Overwhelmingly self-funded. Jackson put in excess of $100 million of his personal wealth into the campaign, becoming the nation's leading Republican ad spender of the cycle and relying little on outside donors or PACs. - $101,807,706.96 — JACKSON, RICHARD L. (ALPHARETTA, GA) - $10,093,200.00 — ELY, SEAN (EMERSON, GA) - $26,400.00 — KURTZ, LESLIE K. (ALPHARETTA, GA) - $26,400.00 — BRADBURY, THOMAS (Woodstock, GA) - $26,400.00 — MCLANE, JAMES S. (VESTAVIA, AL) - $26,400.00 — INSPIRATA CAPITAL, LLC (ATLANTA, GA) - $26,400.00 — MAGGARD, BRACK (EATONTON, GA) **$112,432,903** raised · **$4,367,467** cash on hand — as of **Jun 17, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing). Source: [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/georgia-governor-midterm-primary-election-winner-jackson-rcna350030) · [Transparency USA (GA filings)](https://www.transparencyusa.org/ga) #### Where they stand Education His signature education cause is foster youth — having grown up in foster care, he highlights tuition-free public college for former foster children — and he has pledged to ban DEI in public schools. He has offered few specifics on broader K-12 policy. Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Jackson_(Georgia)) · [AJC — where Jackson stands](https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/04/rick-jackson-a-look-at-the-ajcs-coverage/) Healthcare Opposes full Medicaid expansion; instead favors federal Medicaid block grants tied to work requirements, which he argues let states “spend that money more responsibly.” As a health-care executive, he pitches lower costs through price transparency, better technology, and cutting out the “middlemen” he says inflate prices. Source: [AJC — where Jackson stands](https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/04/rick-jackson-a-look-at-the-ajcs-coverage/) Minimum Wage Has not called for raising the minimum wage; his economic plan leans on cutting income and property taxes and a “dignity through work” approach — expanding job training and tying public assistance to work for able-bodied adults — rather than wage mandates. Georgia's floor is the federal $7.25. Source: [Action Plan — Rick Jackson](https://rickjackson.com/action-plan/) · [Georgia Dept. of Labor — minimum wage](https://dol.georgia.gov/minimum-wage) Homelessness Offers no specific homelessness plan; his housing message is freezing and then cutting property taxes so families aren't “priced out of their homes,” paired with the “dignity through work” requirement tying aid to work or job training. Source: [Action Plan — Rick Jackson](https://rickjackson.com/action-plan/) Veterans Affairs Has not laid out a veterans-specific platform. His signature personal cause is foster youth — he backed tuition-free college for former foster children — while his action plan centers on taxes, public safety, education, and immigration. Source: [Action Plan — Rick Jackson](https://rickjackson.com/action-plan/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Jackson_(Georgia)) Immigration Hardline enforcement, closely aligned with Trump. In a campaign ad he warned that “criminal illegals” who commit violent crimes will “get deported — or departed” when he is governor; immigration enforcement is a centerpiece of his platform. Source: [Imprint News](https://imprintnews.org/foster-care/billionaire-former-foster-wins-nomination-republican-georgia-governor/275422) · [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/georgia-governor-midterm-primary-election-winner-jackson-rcna350030) Gun Control A Second Amendment supporter who opposes new gun restrictions; gun rights and public safety run through his Trump-aligned platform. Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Jackson_(Georgia)) Abortion “Entirely pro-life” and supports Georgia's six-week ban. In recorded campaign remarks he indicated he would ban abortion even in cases of rape and pursue charges against providers; he later said he supports the current law as written. Source: [CBS Atlanta](https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/audio-recordings-reveal-georgia-gop-gubernatorial-candidate-rick-jacksons-views-on-abortion-exceptions/) LGBTQ+ Opposed. He defines marriage as “one man and one woman,” would bar transgender girls from girls' sports and bathrooms, and calls socially or medically transitioning a minor “child abuse.” Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Jackson_(Georgia)) DEI Campaigns on eliminating DEI in state government and schools, telling WSB-TV “I believe in diversity and inclusion. I don't believe in equity… period.” Reporting notes his own Jackson Healthcare previously ran diversity-hiring initiatives — a former HR executive there says hiring of people of color rose sharply under those efforts — which he now vows to end statewide. Source: [AJC — where Jackson stands](https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/04/rick-jackson-a-look-at-the-ajcs-coverage/) · [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Jackson_(businessman)) Marijuana Has not addressed marijuana legalization; his platform is silent on it. Georgia currently permits only low-THC medical cannabis, with recreational use illegal. Source: [Action Plan — Rick Jackson](https://rickjackson.com/action-plan/) · [Cannabis in Georgia — Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Georgia_(U.S._state)) Data centers Pro-data-center. He wants Georgia to be a hub for the industry and is personally invested in a data center; he argues well-structured deals can cut local property taxes and power bills without passing costs to ratepayers. Source: [13WMAZ](https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/politics/rick-jackson-invests-a-data-center-makes-case-for-economic-impact/93-8093d9ee-7e69-4a9e-bb85-bfceb72f6fa3) #### Scandals ##### ~$1 billion in state contracts (conflict-of-interest questions) Not alleged illegal; ethics experts flagged conflicts. Jackson pledged to “unwind” the contracts if elected; the state Senate passed HB 1374 to close the renewal loophole. Jackson Healthcare and affiliates have been paid nearly $1 billion by state agencies since fiscal 2020 — about $710 million from the Department of Community Health for staffing. Critics dubbed a contracting exception the “Rick Jackson loophole”; the Georgia Senate passed HB 1374 (46–0) to require competitive bidding on large contract renewals. Source: [Healthbeat](https://www.healthbeat.org/atlanta/2026/02/27/rick-jackson-georgia-governor-state-contracts/) · [GPB](https://www.gpb.org/news/2026/03/04/health-care-executive-running-for-ga-governor-his-company-has-had-about-1b-in-state) · [AJC — pledge to ‘unwind’](https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/03/rick-jackson-promises-to-unwind-his-companys-state-contracts-if-elected/) ##### Leaked audio: rape-exception abortion remarks Comments controversy, not a criminal allegation. Jackson's campaign disputes the framing as “Democratic spin” and says he supports Georgia's current law unchanged; reproductive-rights groups and Democrats condemned the remarks. An audio recording — taped at an April 2026 campaign barbecue in east Georgia and published in June by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and HuffPost the day after Jackson won the GOP gubernatorial runoff — captured him agreeing with a voter who said a woman alleging rape “needs to prove it” to qualify for Georgia's rape exception to the six-week abortion ban; Jackson added that a pregnancy from rape is “still a life.” The remarks drew scrutiny because a month earlier he had backed rape and incest exceptions on a Georgia Life Alliance questionnaire. Under current law, the rape/incest exception applies only up to 20 weeks and only with an official police report. Source: [CBS Atlanta](https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/audio-recordings-reveal-georgia-gop-gubernatorial-candidate-rick-jacksons-views-on-abortion-exceptions/) · [HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/leaked-audio-shows-gop-candidate-agreeing-that-women-should-prove-rape-to-access-abortion_n_6a0f1637e4b0bb04cec3cc88) [Campaign site](https://rickjackson.com/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Jackson_(Georgia)) [⬇ Share image](https://thegafiles.com/share/candidates/governor.png) [⬇ Download for offline](https://thegafiles.com/candidates/governor.offline.html) Every entry is drawn from published reporting, official records, or the candidate's own statements, with sources on each item. Policy summaries are condensed from that reporting and reflect the candidate's stated positions; where a matter is an allegation or unresolved, that is noted, and inclusion is not a finding of guilt. Contributor figures are early/partial where the official itemized filings (Georgia Ethics Commission) are still being compiled. Corrections welcome via the contact link in the footer. Last updated 2026-06-17.