Georgia Republican gubernatorial nominee Rick Jackson has quietly dropped two lawsuits he filed against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones during their bruising primary fight, including a defamation case that accused Jones of making knowingly false statements about him. The move comes as Jackson pushes to unify state Republicans ahead of a tight November matchup with Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jackson dropped a lawsuit challenging Jones' use of a campaign fundraising tool as well as the defamation suit tied to the primary campaign. Jackson defeated Jones to become the Republican nominee for governor, but the two men have remained at odds since their contentious runoff, the outlet reports.
The defamation case traced back to accusations Jones and his campaign leveled at Jackson during the primary. Per WALB, Jackson filed the suit in Fulton County Superior Court in March, accusing Jones and his campaign of falsely claiming Jackson made his fortune recruiting for Planned Parenthood and helped doctors perform transgender procedures on minors.
What the Original Complaint Alleged
Jackson's complaint called the accusations knowingly false and denied any professional relationship with Planned Parenthood or involvement in transgender procedures on minors, WALB reported at the time. The filing did not specify monetary damages, according to the same report.
The dispute over Jones' leadership committee fundraising had already drawn scrutiny from other Republican rivals. As Atlanta News First noted, a federal judge dismissed a similar attempt by Attorney General Chris Carr to block Jones from using his leadership committee funds back in August 2025. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger also sought — and was denied — more spending power in the race in late January, a ruling he appealed, according to a separate Atlanta News First report.
A Pending $100 Million Lawsuit
Jackson's decision to drop his own lawsuits does not resolve all the legal wrangling from the primary. A libel lawsuit filed by Jones' family business against Jackson remains pending, the AJC reports. That case traces back to Jones Petroleum Co., which filed a $100 million defamation lawsuit against Jackson, according to Spectrum News. The company accused Jackson of using its branding in ads and websites to make false claims about Burt Jones.
Jackson ultimately won the nomination decisively. He defeated Jones by 37,560 votes in the June 16 Republican runoff, according to Courthouse News.
Jones Has Not Endorsed His Former Rival
Despite losing the nomination, Jones has not endorsed Jackson. As WJCL reported, Jones said he would reconsider an endorsement if Jackson dropped the defamation lawsuit filed during the primary — a condition Jackson has now met, though it remains unclear whether an endorsement will follow.
Jackson now faces a general election against Bottoms, the former Democratic mayor of Atlanta.
Race Heads Toward November
Bottoms and Jackson are seeking to become Georgia's governor, with voters set to choose a new chief executive on November 3. The two candidates are scheduled to debate on Atlanta News First on October 6. Whether the dropped lawsuits translate into a formal truce between Jackson and Jones — or an eventual endorsement — remains an open question as the campaign enters its final stretch.
