Georgia Democrat backing Trump says he’s stepping down

ATLANTA (AP) – A Democratic state lawmaker from Georgia who recently broke party ranks to endorse President Donald Trump says he’s stepping down from office.

News outlets report Rep. Vernon Jones announced Wednesday that he intends not to complete his term. Jones represents portions of metro Atlanta’s DeKalb and Rockdale counties in the state House.

Jones said he’s backing Trump because of the Republican president’s support for criminal justice reform and historically black colleges and universities. That resulted in swift blowback from fellow Democrats, many of whom quickly made donations to Rhonda Taylor, a community activist running for Jones’ seat in the Democratic Primary.