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Burt Jones, Senator Burt Jones, the first elected official in the state to support Donald Trump as a presidential candidate in 2015, is running for lieutenant governor on a platform dedicated to electoral integrity, economic growth, educational reform and police support. Jones, who received Trump’s approval in September, outlined his plan in an interview with Fox News.
“My four priorities as the next lieutenant governor of Georgia will be building the integrity of the elections, revitalizing our economy, improving our education system, and helping our law enforcement agencies to improve public safety,” said Jones.
Jones scourged his elected counterparts for delaying an investigation into irregularities in the 2020 election.
STATE SENATOR BURT JONES, AFFILIATED WITH TRUMP, STARTS THE FIGHT FOR GEORGIA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
“We had a number of problems, but no one was ready to investigate,” Jones told Fox News. “The majority of lawmakers and officials across the country didn’t want to investigate.”
Burt Jones, Georgia State Senator and candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2022.
(Courtesy Burt Jones)
He claimed Dropboxing was a “huge factor” in 2020 election concerns. He said, “There was a chain of custody issue where Dropboxes were lost for days.” He mentioned “ballot-filling allegations” in those boxes and forbearance of the signature verification.
Jones was reluctant to support SB 202, the electoral reform bill that demonized President Biden as “Jim Crow on steroids”.
The Republican suggested that voter turnout suffered during the January 5, 2021 US Senate runoff election because “it looked like no one was trying to address or investigate these concerns”.
Jones and three other State Senate Republicans signed a petition calling on the Georgia General Assembly to award Georgia’s 16 voters to Trump, who, according to official results, lost the state to Biden with 0.23% of the vote. In January 2021, Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan Jones chairs and serves on the Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.
Duncan decided not to run for re-election.
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Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger denied Jones’ election-related claims in a statement to Fox News.
“Together with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, investigators in my office have investigated hundreds of allegations of electoral fraud since the November 2020 elections, but found nothing to question the general integrity of the Georgian elections or even remotely question the election results Luckily, many conservatives acknowledge that we had free and fair elections, but that we missed out and that the people of Georgia are better off if we look ahead rather than the past to be re-enlightened. “
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a press conference in Atlanta on Monday, December 14, 2020. (AP Photo / John Bazemore)
Jones told Fox News that he would urge lawmakers “get rid of machines and return to paper elections” if he were elected lieutenant governor.
Speaking on the economy, he said he will cut state income taxes, reduce small business regulations, and cut fees and costs. On education, Jones vowed “to prioritize vocational and technical education in K-12, reduce the cost of higher education, ban critical racial theory, and introduce more civic curricula.”
He also vowed to advocate public safety, increase funding and pension benefits for law enforcement agencies, and increase penalties for sex traffickers, gang members and repeat offenders.
Jones expressed confidence in his standing in the race, particularly with Trump’s approval.
“I am honored to have President Trump’s full and complete support for the Lieutenant Governor because I am the only person in my race who has fought for President from day one – and I will continue to do so as we get results Georgia family deliver for all, “he said.
FILE – Georgia State Senator Burt Jones (Bob Andres / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, File)
(Bob Andres / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)
Jones, a sixth generation Georgian, attended the University of Georgia and served as soccer team captain during the 2002 season, helping lead the team to its first SEC championship in 20 years. He had previously considered running for lieutenant governor in 2018, but decided against it for family and business reasons.
Jones meets pro-tempore Senate President Butch Miller, who announced his campaign in May.
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In Georgia, voters elect the governor and lieutenant governor separately. While the lieutenant governor would replace the governor should the post become vacant, the lieutenant governor’s primary role is to serve as president of the Georgia State Senate. Jones has served on the state Senate for nearly nine years.
