Republican Rick Jackson, who announced his campaign this week for Georgia governor, has purchased advertising time during the Super Bowl game on Sunday.
The 30-second ad (you can watch it below) references his childhood growing up in public housing and in foster care to becoming a self-made billionaire as the CEO of Jackson Health Care.
A longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, Jackson said in the ad that “like President Trump, I don’t owe anybody anything.”
He pledged in the ad that Georgia would lead in criminal deportations of illegal immigrants if he’s elected and advocates cutting the state income tax rate in half and freezing property taxes.
Jackson’s priorities also include stopping “woke ideology” and ending reverse discrimination and supporting children in foster care.
In announcing his campaign earlier this week (his campaign website can be found here), Jackson said he was putting $50 million of his own money into his campaign account, including an initial $40 million advertising blitz to introduce himself to the public.
The Super Bowl is the most expensive advertising window in American television. While national ad rates for Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks are estimated to cost an average $8 million for a 30-second spot, local rates are lower.
According to ALM Corp., a marketing agency, Super Bowl rates in markets like Atlanta could cost $300,000 and $600,000 for 30 seconds, and the same time slot typically costs from $50,000 to $300,000 in smaller and mid-tier markets.
The surprise entry by Jackson—who has never sought public office before—crowds an already loaded Republican battle to succeed Gov. Brian Kemp. That field includes Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr.
In announcing his campaign Wednesday, Jackson called Raffensperger a “Judas” for not bowing to Trump’s demands to find more votes in the 2020 Georgia presidential election.
Jackson called the Georgia political establishment a “cartel” that he intends to break up.
Although he donated $1 million to Trump’s campaigns, the president has endorsed Jones.
On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former State Sen. Jason Esteves, former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and former DeKalb County CEO and ex-Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond are among the candidates vying in the May 19 primary.
Related:
- Loudermilk won’t seek re-election to Congress
- Democrat announces 11th Congressional District candidacy
- Cobb school board leadership remains in GOP hands
- Republican announces bid for Cobb Commission District 3
- Marietta Mayor barely re-elected; PSC incumbents defeated
- East Cobb Republican activist Pam Reardon dies
- Democratic activist announces candidacy for Cobb commissioner
- MORE: Visit the East Cobb News Politics & Elections Page
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