Rick Jackson links gubernatorial bid to Forsyth County roots, foster care work

Rick Jackson turned a ribbon-cutting in Cumming into a statewide campaign stop, tying his Republican bid for governor to the county he now calls home and to the personal story he has made central to his run.

Jackson, 71, used the Forsyth County appearance to talk about a decade of work with foster children and the experiences that shaped him, including growing up in Atlanta’s Techwood Homes and moving through five foster homes. The event gave him a local platform to explain why he entered the race, and why he believes his background sets him apart in a crowded contest to replace term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp.

His campaign launched on February 3 with a pledge to spend $50 million of his own money, and Jackson’s team said it wired that amount to the campaign account. The campaign also planned an initial advertising buy of more than $40 million, a level of spending that has already made the Republican primary more expensive and more competitive. Since the launch, Jackson has placed himself in the center of a race that now includes Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr.

Jackson’s Forsyth County appearance mattered because it connected that money to place. By speaking in Cumming, he brought a high-dollar statewide campaign into a county known for rapid growth, rising home values and intense debates over taxes, infrastructure and state services. He has said his message includes tax cuts, freezing property taxes, opposition to DEI in schools and tougher immigration enforcement, themes that are likely to be tested against the concerns of suburban voters who worry about growth outpacing roads, schools and local budgets.

The former foster child has also leaned on his business record. Jackson founded and leads Jackson Healthcare, which says it operates in all 50 states, serves about 20 million patients a year and brings in more than $3 billion in annual revenue. The company bought U.S. Antibiotics in 2021. Jackson has also supported the Fostering Success Act, aimed at helping young people aging out of foster care, and has cast that work as proof that his campaign is about more than private wealth or outsider status.

That combination of money, biography and local footing has altered the math of Georgia’s governor’s race. The GOP primary is set for May 19, with a runoff on June 16 if no candidate wins a majority. Jackson’s entry has raised the odds that the contest stretches deeper into summer, and his Cumming stop showed that Forsyth County is not just watching the race. It is part of where the race is being defined.