Rick Jackson, Georgia’s True Outsider, Pledges Property Tax Freeze

Rick Jackson, a Republican businessman and political newcomer, is running for Georgia governor in 2026.

His biography is considerably different from that of a typical political candidate. Jackson never knew his father, was raised by a mother struggling with alcoholism, spent part of his childhood in public housing, and moved through five foster homes. He attended 13 schools before eventually leaving college because he could no longer afford it. He took a commission-based sales job, eventually bought the company he worked for, and built it into what became Jackson Healthcare, a Georgia-based healthcare company that now operates nationwide.

Jackson says those experiences shaped his approach to government. His campaign has centered on making Georgia more affordable, beginning with property taxes. He has pledged to freeze property taxes immediately to stop what he calls runaway assessments that can price families out of their homes. He also promises to cut Georgia’s state income tax in half within four years, with a longer-term goal of eliminating it.

His affordability agenda goes beyond those two proposals. Jackson has proposed eliminating state taxes on residential electricity and natural gas, ending the state income tax on tips, and suspending the gas tax when prices spike because of an external shock. He also wants to use technology and artificial intelligence to reduce government waste and improve state services.

Jackson has also made public safety a prominent part of his campaign. His platform calls for fully supporting law enforcement with resources, training, and respect, rejecting soft-on-crime policies and ending “revolving-door justice.” He has said police officers deserve the backing of state government and that Georgia should be a place where families feel safe at home and in their communities.

Beyond taxes and public safety, Jackson has proposed freezing tuition, room and board at Georgia’s public colleges and technical schools. His healthcare background also figures prominently in his campaign: he has proposed increasing price transparency, using technology to reduce costs, and addressing what he describes as unnecessary layers of middlemen in healthcare.