Empty podium becomes centerpiece as GOP governor runoff candidates campaign on separate stages

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Georgia’s Republican gubernatorial runoff unfolded on two separate stages Monday, with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones appearing alone at an Atlanta Press Club debate while his opponent, Rick Jackson, held a Cobb County campaign event featuring Florida Sen. Rick Scott.

At the Atlanta Press Club, Jackson was represented by an empty podium after declining to participate, with his campaign citing a scheduling conflict. Jones seized on the absence from the opening moments, telling the audience, “I’m sorry that my opponent decided not to show up today,” and repeatedly framing the runoff as a measure of accountability.

Jones used his time to outline positions on several issues, including tax credits, artificial intelligence and data centers. He said the state should evaluate incentives based on whether they deliver a return on investment and said he opposed what he called “corporate welfare” for data centers and shifting infrastructure costs to consumers. Asked about artificial intelligence, Jones said the state should consider guardrails he described as protecting young people from harmful apps.

The debate also touched on issues expected to come before lawmakers after the runoff, including election administration and redistricting. Jones said the upcoming special session would address a change involving QR codes on ballots and would revisit legislative and congressional maps, arguing lines should be drawn based on geography rather than race. He also discussed the state’s abortion law, saying he supported Georgia’s 2019 “heartbeat” legislation and pointed to efforts he said were aimed at expanding support for families, adoption and foster care.

When it was Jones’ turn to pose a question to his opponent’s empty podium, he leveled a series of accusations and criticisms at Jackson, including references to a $750,000 settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and claims about Jackson’s political contributions and hiring practices. Those claims were not independently verified in the debate.

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Outside the debate setting, Jones continued to press the point that he showed up and his opponent did not. In a brief exchange with reporters, he described himself as the “only really conservative Republican” in the race and accused Jackson of tightly controlling access at events and interviews.

Jackson, meanwhile, campaigned in Cobb County alongside Florida Sen. Rick Scott and supporters who emphasized hot-button issues including property rights and eminent domain.

Adam Miles, a farmer who spoke at the event, said the campaign was focused on protecting private landowners and criticized what he described as loosened rules that make it easier for land to be taken for utility projects.

Jackson’s event mixed policy promises with biography. Jackson said the state faced rising costs and high property taxes and presented himself as an outsider challenging an “insider” establishment, describing a childhood marked by foster care and frequent school moves. Scott, a former Florida governor, urged supporters to focus on turnout and framed Jackson as a business-minded candidate.

Both campaigns face renewed pressure to agree on another debate date before early voting begins, as voters weigh not only policy contrasts but also how each candidate is choosing to campaign in the final stretch.

Democrats also weighed in, with Democratic Party of Georgia spokesman Jake Strickland mocking the debate’s visuals and calling the empty podium the “clear winner.”

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“Congratulations to the clear winner of today’s GOP gubernatorial debate: the empty podium. Unlike Burt Jones and Rick Jackson, the podium is sturdy, independent, and does not use Georgia taxpayers as a piggy bank to line its own pockets. In fact, the podium was the only one on stage not running (or should we say standing) to sell Georgia out to Donald Trump and his cost-raising agenda.”

Early voting for the runoff was expected to begin next week, with Election Day set for June 16.

The winner will face Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms in November in the race to become Georgia’s 83rd governor.