‘I have never supported a Republican.’ How Rick Jackson changed my mind.

Jackson was not born into privilege and wealth. He grew up in poverty in the foster care system, moving through several foster homes, seven different foster fathers, 13 schools, while spending time growing up in the Techwood Homes projects in Atlanta.

He never knew his father and was raised by a mother struggling with alcoholism. From an early age, Jackson said he knew nothing would be handed to him — and that he had to be resilient and work harder than anyone.

His life and struggle are a window into his character.

I can relate to this, as I grew up in a working-class family in a small town in Indiana. Neither of my parents graduated from high school, and my father worked in a factory for almost 48 years supporting a family of seven. I also knew that I should expect nothing, and my only options were education, hard work and determination.

Peach State would benefit from a CEO as governor

Credit: Billy Linville

Credit: Billy Linville

Jackson is also an immensely talented and driven entrepreneur who believes a business is a solution to a problem.

That’s why he has built many successful businesses, including Jackson Health Care, which serves all 50 states.

He believes that businesses and government can and should be a force for good in the world.

And he walks the walk.

Jackson doesn’t like to talk about the thousands of scholarships for poor students he has funded or the millions of dollars he has donated to organizations that help foster children.

To further his philanthropy, Jackson joined with other business leaders to start goBeyondProfit for Georgia business leaders interested in evolving their corporate generosity efforts into a business strategy.

As a result, as I got to know Jackson as a person, my admiration grew, and he inspired me. His values and priorities in his life forced me to aspire higher.

I started to think about the possibility of helping him become governor. However, I had problems overcoming the fact that he is a Republican and our ideology was not always aligned.

In fact, I have never supported a Republican in my entire life.

Jackson has a more conservative philosophy than I. However, the governor of Georgia is an executive position, largely alienated from the chaos in Washington and the White House. His skill and experience as a CEO are a vital part of being a successful governor.

Jackson has pledged to focus on helping those who need an extended hand, making the state more affordable, improving access to health care, growing our economy and keeping us safe.

Thus, when Georgia Democrats nominated former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor, I knew what I had to do. I felt compelled to put my state above my party.

For the first time, as a lifelong Democrat, I chose to support a Republican and lead a coalition to help him.

Why I can’t support the Democratic nominee this time

Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: (Ben Gray for the AJC)

The decision to publicly support him also had to do with the failure of Bottoms’ single term as mayor.

In my opinion, Bottoms has been the worst mayor in the modern history of Atlanta.

She refused, or was unable, to lead and govern.

Under Bottoms, violent crime spiked in Atlanta, and there was a mass exodus of police officers, and morale in the department hit rock bottom.

As a result, the Buckhead community threatened to leave the city, which would have devastated Atlanta. If, in fact, Bottoms had been reelected, the state legislature may have separated the city.

Bottoms also failed to effectively manage the COVID pandemic, resulting in more than a hundred small businesses and restaurants closing. Instead of leading on the pandemic and working with the state, she chose to fight Gov. Brian Kemp instead.

I remember being kept awake late at night by the loud and dangerous street racing she refused to stop. And I recall the fear of women being mugged at gas stations while filling their vehicle.

Most alarmingly, after one of the protests, under her watch, a violent gang took control of a part of the city for several days, resulting in the horrible shooting death of an 8-year-old girl, Secoriea Turner, massive property damage and burned businesses, a devastated police department and immense damage to the reputation of the city of Atlanta.

Therefore, I felt compelled to act. I knew I would face threats and criticism. I knew it could hurt my business and some friendships, but my conscience would not allow me to look the other way.

A successful Democratic Party must nominate competent, experienced and successful leadership that works for everyone.

Sadly, my party failed that test with the nomination of Keisha Lance Bottoms. It is a bridge too far to expect Democrats to support a candidate with her record of failure.

That’s why I’m supporting Rick Jackson for governor. I may not agree with him on all the issues, but he has the leadership, vision, character and determination to make all of us proud and our state prosperous.

Billy Linville is co-founder and managing partner of Lexicon Strategies, a leading public affairs firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a former senior executive at AT&T, legislative aide on Capitol Hill, and political consultant for Gov. Roy Barnes, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, and other Democrats in Georgia and throughout the country.

Disclosure: As reported by the AJC, Rick Jackson’s leadership committee paid Linville’s firm $10,000 shortly before the latter launched Democrats and Independents for Rick Jackson. “(T)he payment was to help kick-start the coalition he is leading, not compensation for his endorsement,” according to the AJC’s Politically Georgia newsletter.

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