Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones (R-GA) made a stop in Coweta County last week to host a meet and greet with local supporters of his gubernatorial campaign as the early voting season came to a close.
The event took place at a Line Creek Brewing location in downtown Newnan and featured local GOP leaders and State Senator Matt Brass (R-6).
Sen. Brass is a longtime colleague of Lt. Gov. Jones and spoke very highly of his composure and integrity. They both came up at the University of Georgia, and stuck together as partners in the General Assembly.
Sen. Brass explained, “When you're under the gun up there, it could be a pressure cooker at times. You know, you look for someone solid, someone that you can look up to, someone that you can ask questions and give you real, honest answers.”
He continued, “That's important to me that people in these offices are gonna be affecting our community here, you gotta be honest, number one. You've got to be willing to lead from the front. And Bert has always done that.”
Jones's Remarks
Lt. Gov. Jones then gave his remarks, discussing his background with the family business and the demand for a business candidate.
He stated, “Well, I am the business guy. I know what it's like to make payroll. I know it's like signing the front of a check, and the ups and downs that you go through in business. I understand all that.”
The Lt. Governor explained Georgia’s vulnerability and the need for a strong leader with a verifiable background to confront outside influence.
Jones explained, “The state of Georgia is gonna be the target. It's gonna be the center of the political universe. In November, there's gonna be literally a billion dollars poured into the state of Georgia.”
He added, “I will tell you, I have a track record. I'll put up against anybody. A voting record or being a consistent conservative on every issue, whether you name the issue, then I've probably been one of the most consistent conservatives in there.”
Exclusive Comments
In an exclusive interview with Dome Politics, Jones shared his thoughts on rival Rick Jackson and the reason for his surprise candidacy.
Jones stated, “He’s spent a lot of money, you know, so I don't know what his intentions are. But obviously, look, he came in, he spent $100 million, and most of it has been just attacking me.”
He continued, “I think he came in late because he knows that his business record and his political contributions in the past would eventually come out, and they have finally come out. So we already know that he supported Stacey Abrams. He also supports Jon Ossoff and all these folks who are not Republicans and not conservative.”
Jones also explained that tax reform will remain the leading issue of his campaign after the primary.
He stated, “I'd like to see a move towards eliminating income tax, but also a move towards eliminating property taxes for homeowners. I think we capped them this past year in the legislature. I think there are ways that we can alleviate that property, pain that a lot of people are feeling right now, especially for retirees and people on fixed incomes.”
