ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Burt Jones, who is running to become the next governor of Georgia, has been endorsed by one of his biggest allies — President Donald Trump.

Jones, who is the current lieutenant governor, is one of two Republicans currently seeking the governor’s mansion in 2026.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones announces long-anticipated bid for governor

“I’m honored to have President Trump’s complete and total endorsement in my race for governor of Georgia,” Jones said. “From day one, I’ve fought to advance President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda right here in Georgia — and I’ve taken plenty of arrows from the radical left for doing it. But just like President Trump, I don’t back down. We’ve delivered real results for the people of Georgia, and we’ll keep delivering when I’m governor.”

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Jones will “fight hard” to grow Georgia’s economy, cut taxes and regulations and “continue to secure our now secure southern border.”

Trump also said Jones was committed to his campaigns in 2016, 2020 and 2024 and is the first member of the Georgia General Assembly to endorse him for president. Trump won in Georgia in the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections, but lost the state in 2020.

Jones gained national attention in 2020 when he was part of an effort to certify the state’s presidential election for Trump, who was running for reelection against Joe Biden. That election saw Biden become the first Democrat to win Georgia — or any other deep Southern state — since Bill Clinton in 1992. The case was turned over to the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia in 2022, and in September 2024, the council said Jones would not be prosecuted.

Jones will have a campaign kickoff event in Flovilla on Aug. 26.

Chris Carr, the current attorney general of Georgia, is also running on the Republican side for governor.

To date, Jones and Carr are the only two Republicans who have officially announced a governor’s bid.

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Five Democrats — former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson and businessman and pastor Olu Brown — are also running for governor.

Gov. Brian Kemp, also a Republican, is finishing up his second and last term as governor and cannot seek reelection.

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