Republican Vernon Jones announced last spring that he would run for governor of Georgia to unseat incumbent and fellow Republican Brian Kemp, but on Monday Jones announced he will depart that race to run for Congress.
Jones posted the news on Facebook and Twitter. He then endorsed another Republican for governor.
“After much prayer and consideration, I have decided that I can best serve the people of Georgia in the Congress of the United States. I believe that strong conservative voices need to be heard as we lead America into the future. Because of this decision, I am officially withdrawing my candidacy for governor effective today and will be supporting David Perdue for governor,” Jones wrote.
“He [Perdue] is a good man who loves our state and loves our country. I’d like to thank the thousands of Georgians who welcomed me into their homes and communities. I would ask for their continued support as I seek to represent them in the United States Congress. Together as conservatives we will take Georgia back.”
Perdue, responding to Jones’ withdrawal, tweeted Monday that Jones “is a conservative patriot who cares deeply about Georgia.”
“We need his voice, and we need him in the fight. I’m proud to have his support of our Trump-endorsed campaign,” Perdue, a Republican, tweeted.
“Conservatives are united and ready to beat Stacey Abrams. I appreciate Vernon’s willingness to serve and look forward to working together to get big things done for Georgia.”
Kemp, meanwhile, said nothing about Jones’ withdrawal on either his campaign’s Facebook page or Twitter feed.
Media chatter suggested last week that Jones would drop out of the Georgia gubernatorial race. Jones reportedly met with former President Donald Trump at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, last week to discuss the matter.
Trump, in December, endorsed Perdue.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution said last week that Jones could run for Georgia’s right-leaning Sixth or Tenth Congressional Districts.
Perdue launched a statewide tour on Tuesday to communicate his priorities to voters. They include reforming the state’s election system and overhauling the way the state government collects taxes.
Jones, a Democrat-turned-Republican and a political ally of Trump’s, declared his candidacy for governor last April. At the time, Jones said Kemp’s job performance, especially when it comes to ensuring “a free, fair, and transparent election,” has fallen short.
According to Ballotpedia, Jones served in the Georgia House of Representatives as a Democrat between 2017 and January of this year. He left the Democratic Party in 2021.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star and The Georgia Star News. Follow Chris on Facebook, Twitter, Parler, and GETTR. Email tips to [email protected].
