Lt. Gov. Burt Jones has entered the 2026 Gubernatorial race as the favorite amongst Republicans and against Democrats, with a strong conservative record and a healthy relationship with President Donald Trump. The Georgia native took office as Lieutenant Governor in 2023 after serving as a state senator since 2013.
In an exclusive interview with Dome Politics' Javier Manjarres, Lt. Gov. Jones shared his vision for how he wants to act as Governor.
The Next Step
When asked about the next step for his campaign, Jones gave a practical answer.
“Obviously, we’ve been meeting with people who could be potentially helpful to us for the Governor’s race, and now we’re gonna focus on trying to win the Republican Primary and move on to the General (election),” Jones replied.
Flooding in Texas
Jones was asked about what Georgia leadership had done to assist Texas with the recent catastrophic flooding.
Jones reassured that Georgia was ready and able to help, stating, “I know Governor Kemp has been in touch with the Governor there in Texas and I’m quite certain that he has offered assistance that they might need. I know we have a great relationship with the leadership over there and they’ve always been kind to us, and our hearts go out to the families and individuals that have been affected. Whatever Texas will need, I’m sure we’ll be happy to provide.”
Partnering With Other States
When asked if he would continue the trend of Governors partnering to handle natural disasters, Jones confirmed that he absolutely would. Governors, especially from red states, began to assist each other after receiving lackluster support from the Biden administration.
“Yeah, obviously, we want to help our neighbors. Governor Kemp has done a great job doing that and he’s also done a great job managing disasters that we’ve had here in this state,” he replied. “I just think it’s the right thing to do. So, yeah I consider myself a pretty good neighbor and humanitarian. You want to lift up your neighbors when they’re down. So yeah, that’s just human nature for a lot of us.”
Partnering With the Trump Administration
Jones also confirmed that his relationship with President Trump is healthy and strong, and he looks forward to working with him as Governor. His relationship with President Trump has been key in maintaining a working relationship between the administration and Georgia.
“I’ve got a great relationship with the current administration and I’ve had one for quite some time,” Jones stated. “I don’t know of a time when we haven’t, as a state, worked with the Trump administration in this period or in his first term. So, I value that relationship we have and I’m very appreciative in how he reciprocates the type of support that we’ve shown him.”
Georgia Legislature
When asked about how he might influence the legislature, Jones expressed desire for the Georgia General Assembly to continue working on education, transportation and healthcare.
“You’re always going to have issues that persist into the future like economic growth and how you’re growing as a state, how you’re educating your workforce (whether it’s in the technical schools or in K-12), investing in infrastructure here in the state, as well as investing in healthcare opportunities for communities across the state. The big line-items that we have as a state every year is always on education, transportation, and healthcare issues,” Jones replied. “And those are issues that will dominate conversation, not just for our state, but for other states as well. And those are always issues that you will be looking to make more efficient, economical, and accessible to the general public.”
State Income Tax
With Gov. Ron DeSantis's push against the property tax in Florida, Jones didn’t reveal whether he would do the same or not. He did, however, emphasize his promise to eliminate the state income tax.
“Florida has not had a state income tax for quite some time. One of my number one priorities is trying to eliminate our state income tax here in Georgia,” Jones replied. “We’ve been very fortunate in being able to lower it for years, as I’ve been Lieutenant Governor. The goal is zero (state income tax), but we’re gonna do it in a very methodical and conservative manner.”
Winning Over Democratic Counties
When it comes to winning votes in Democratic-heavy counties, like Fulton County, Jones didn’t reveal the whole game plan. He did give an interesting answer, though, revealing that big-tent policies are the key to locking down enough votes from Democratic counties.
“Look, the mission is always to get as many votes as possible in every county in the state of GA. You do that by trying to have a big-tent policy and trying to talk about kitchen table issues that concern Georgians,” Jones responded. “I don’t know of anybody who doesn’t like lower taxes, fewer regulations, better education opportunities, and safe communities to live in. Those are all things I’m gonna be pushing for, and I did pretty well in all those counties that you were talking about when I ran for Lieutenant Governor and I absolutely expect to my fair share of votes in every county. I’m willing to bet that I’ll do pretty well in most of them.”
Immigration
On the issue of illegal immigration, Jones was asked whether he would assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in deporting illegal immigrants. He confirmed that he would take a proactive role in assisting ICE and the Trump administration.
“We would be partnering with our agencies like ICE and helping them. I know they all are very active about getting the criminal element out of our country first and so we would be a partner with them on helping facilitate those agents,” Jones responded. “I know the administration is focused on getting those that have committed crimes first and then trying to work through the rest.”
