Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Vernon Jones for the state’s 10th Congressional District.
Trump announced the endorsement via video.
“When it comes to Georgia’s 10th Congressional District I have only one choice, and the man’s name is Vernon Jones, a very special person. He’s an America First fighter who will never back down to either the establishment or the radical Left,” Trump said.
“Fewer fought harder for election integrity in 2020 than Vernon, and he’s a big supporter of a very good man running for governor, David Perdue. He has my complete and total endorsement. Vernon will not let you down. Let’s send a true patriot to Congress.”
Jones announced last spring that he would run for governor of Georgia to unseat the incumbent and fellow Republican Brian Kemp. On Monday, however, Jones announced he will depart that race to run for Congress. He then endorsed Republican and former U.S. Senator David Perdue for governor.
Media chatter suggested last week that Jones would drop out of the Georgia gubernatorial race. Jones reportedly met with Trump at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida, last week to discuss the matter.
Trump, in December, endorsed Perdue for Georgia governor.
Jones, a Democrat-turned-Republican and a political ally of Trump’s, said last spring that 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.
U.S. Representative Jody Hice (R-GA-10) is currently running to replace Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Republicans Patrick Witt and Mike Collins are also running for the 10th Congressional District. Witt, according to his Twitter profile, was a member of Trump’s post-election legal team. He also served as a senior official in the Trump administration.
Collins, meanwhile, owns a Jackson-based trucking company.
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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].
