Rick Jackson makes $87 million ad buy, largest so far of general election

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Rick Jackson wasn’t afraid to dip into his vast fortune – amassed from his health care staffing agency – during the Republican gubernatorial primary and ensuing runoff election that he would go on to win. And it appears that won’t change in the general election cycle, already in full swing.

The Jackson campaign tells Atlanta News First that the GOP nominee for governor is spending $87 million on television and digital ads, the largest general election buy of this race.

“This is the largest general election buy of this race, and it reflects exactly how seriously we take the job of earning every vote in every one of Georgia’s 159 counties,” said Jackson campaign spokesman Garrison Douglas. “Rick Jackson has spent this campaign showing up in places candidates usually skip, and this buy makes sure all 11 million Georgians hear the same thing the people in those rooms have heard, which is that he is running to fight for them.”

The campaign says the ads will start running on August 1. Voters will see the digital ads on their screen statewide, but not every Georgia television will see the broadcast spots.

Jackson spent an astounding amount out of his own fortune to win the gubernatorial primary last month. The billionaire founder and CEO of Jackson Healthcare stunned Georgia’s political establishment by not only entering the race late but seeding it with $50 million of his own personal fortune, including a $40 million ad buy.

Throughout the primary election cycle, Jackson spent over $100 million of his own money to win despite his opponent, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, carrying the favor of President Doanld Trump.

Atlanta News First political analyst Dr. Ben Taylor says not only is this the largest ad buy of the current election cycle, it may be the largest in state election history.

“This is a massive campaign expenditure, and it looks like Jackson will spare no expense in this race,” said Taylor. “In a year that looks generally bad for Republicans, to fight that tide you’d need something like this.”

Atlanta News First also reached out to the campaign of Jackson’s opponent, former Atlanta Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms.

“Rick Jackson made a billion dollars off of taxpayer-funded contracts with the state for health care services, even while rural hospitals closed and Georgians lost health care coverage, and now he’s trying to buy this election,” said a Bottoms campaign spokesperson. “Jackson’s in this for himself, and Keisha’s the only candidate in this race who will stand up for Georgians.”