Lt. Gov. Burt Jones launches 2026 Georgia governor campaign with income tax repeal plan
Jones says he wants to eliminate the state income tax and he is backing his campaign with his own money.
JACKSON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Georgia’s 2026 race for governor is starting early, and one of the state’s top leaders is officially in. Lt. Governor Burt Jones announced this month that he’s running for governor, and he’s already laying out ideas and putting his own money behind the campaign.
“I’m going to be the best person in the race with the best business background and the best legislative background to make sure Georgia continues to go on a good path,” Jones said.
One of the key points in Jones’ campaign is eliminating Georgia’s state income tax. He says letting Georgians keep more of their money is a top priority.
“I want to incentivize Georgia workers,” he said. “When they go to work, they know that more of their paycheck is coming home with them.”
But how does Jones plan to make up for the lost revenue? He points to the money Georgia already has.
“We have a $15 billion surplus,” Jones said. “We lowered the state income tax for the last three years and we want to continue to do that. We are going to look at other models. In fact, right now we have a study committee of state senators who are going to be looking at just that, other models to move towards eliminating the income tax.”
Jones is also standing out by funding the start of his campaign himself, something he says many candidates don’t typically do.
“These races nowadays cost a lot of money,” he said. “When you’re asking someone to donate their hard-earned money to your campaign, you want to be able to illustrate to them that you’ve got some skin in the game and are willing to put up your own money.”
Jones, a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, says he expects Trump to return that support.
“He’s always supported me in everything that I’ve done, and I’ve supported his efforts,” Jones said. “So at the appropriate time, I fully expect to have his support.”
With his announcement, Jones becomes the second Republican to enter the race. Four Democratic candidates have already declared their campaigns.
