¶ Overview
In leaked audio, Rick Jackson appeared to agree women should have to prove they were actually raped before being allowed an abortion exception. When talking about abortion exceptions in cases of rape, agreed with a community member that “two wrongs don’t make a right” and said “you still got life, it’s still a life.” Jackson’s campaign underscored his support for rape and incest victims to file a police report before being allowed an abortion exception. Critics argued Jackson's agreement that rape victims should prove they were assaulted reflected a broader skepticism towards women reporting sexual violence.
In leaked audio, Jackson also called to “tighten up” abortion pills, which accounted for more than 80 percent of abortions in Georgia. In May 2026, Georgia advocates urged the U.S. Supreme Court to preserve access to the abortion pill, warning restrictions would lead to unnecessary delays and increase risks for complications, after the court temporarily restored access to the medication.
In leaked audio, Jackson also said he would be open to criminalizing doctors who “fudge” records to perform abortions outside Georgia’s six-week ban, calling for doctors to “prove that the pregnancy was the right number of weeks” because “doctors are not going to risk their licenses.” Due to Georgia’s extreme abortion ban, some doctors warned it was hard to perform abortions for patients experiencing medical emergencies without risking penalties. Experts also warned the abortion ban caused delays in abortion care in Georgia and caused a woman to die, which could have been preventable.
Jackson called himself “entirely pro life,” and said he “wouldn’t change a thing” about Georgia’s abortion law, which banned abortions “when cardiac activity is detected, […] at approximately six weeks of pregnancy.” Jackson even took credit for Georgia's extreme abortion restrictions and said he would “absolutely” back an even stricter ban in Georgia.
Jackson also boasted donating to anti-abortion organizations and anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers in Georgia.
When Jackson’s opponent, Burt Jones, claimed Jackson’s business supported Planned Parenthood, Jackson said it was an “absurd lie,” and called Jones a “desperate trust fund baby.”
¶ Leaked Audio Showed Jackson Agreeing That Rape Victims Should “Prove” They Were Actually Raped Before Granting An Abortion Exception
¶ Leaked Audio: Jackson Appeared To Agree Women Should Have To Prove They Were Raped Before Being Allowed An Abortion Exception And Agreed That “Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right”
HEADLINE: "Leaked Audio Shows GOP Candidate Agreeing That Women Should ‘Prove’ Rape To Access Abortion" [Huffpost, 6/8/26]
April 2026: In An Unearthed Audio, Jackson Appeared To Agree Women Should Have To Prove They Were Actually Raped Before Being Allowed An Abortion Exception Under Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion Ban And Agreed That “Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right” Regarding Rape Exceptions. According to Huffpost, "Rick Jackson, a Republican gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, appears to believe women should have to prove they were raped before being eligible for an abortion exception under the state’s six-week ban, according to leaked audio reviewed by HuffPost. While speaking with a community member at an annual barbecue event in April, Jackson discussed his views on abortion, including the state’s current six-week abortion ban. The law only allows exceptions for victims of rape and incest, when the fetus is not able to survive outside of the womb, and when the life or health of a pregnant person is at risk. Jackson, a billionaire Republican political donor, agreed with the community member who said ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’ regarding rape victims accessing abortion care. Just a month before this conversation, Jackson supported abortion exceptions for rape or incest victims in a publicly shared questionnaire created by anti-abortion group the Georgia Life Alliance Committee, the state affiliate of the National Right to Life." [Huffpost, 6/8/26]
- Jackson Said, “You Still Got A Life, It’s Still A Life” When The Community Member Said She Wanted To See “Babies Born No Matter How They Were Conceived,” And Agreed That A Rape Victim “Needs To Prove It.” According to Huffpost, "When the community member said she wanted to see ‘babies born no matter how they were conceived,’ referring to rape, Jackson replied: ‘You still got life, it’s still a life.’ He then agreed with her when she said a woman who says she was raped ‘needs to prove it’ to be eligible for an exception under the state’s already-extreme abortion ban. The support to ‘prove’ rape is a sentiment widely shared in anti-abortion circles, which believe unfounded claims that women use rape exceptions as loopholes to access abortion care." [Huffpost, 6/8/26]
- Jackson Said “You’ve Still Got Life” When The Voter Said She Opposed Abortion Exceptions For Rape Victims And Called For Rape Victims To Prove They Were Actually Raped. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "The voter responded: ‘I think you know that you could make an example of one or two doctors.’ Jackson: ‘Absolutely.’ The same voter also pressed him on the law’s rape exception, which she said she opposes, saying ‘two wrongs don’t make a right.’ Jackson responded: ‘You’ve still got life.’ The voter continued: ‘It seems to me that, if a woman is saying she was raped, she needs to prove it. You know?’" [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/8/26]
- Jackson Responded Affirmatively When A Voter Argued Rape Victims Need To Prove They Were Actually Raped Before Getting An Abortion Exception. According to the Daily Beast, "A MAGA billionaire vying to become Georgia’s next governor is under scrutiny after a bombshell recording captured him apparently agreeing that women should have to ‘prove’ they were raped in order to qualify for an abortion. The recording, made at a campaign event before Rick Jackson’s victory in Tuesday night’s GOP runoff, shows the healthcare executive discussing abortion with a voter who objected to exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape. When the voter argued that ‘if a woman is saying she was raped, she needs to prove it,’ Jackson responded affirmatively. ‘I just want to see babies born, no matter how they were conceived,’ the woman can be heard saying on the recording, which was reviewed by the Daily Beast. ‘I mean, the whole thing about a rape exception and everything, it’s like, I mean know it’s horrible, but two wrongs don’t make a right.’ ‘They’ve still got a life,’ Jackson concurs. ‘Yeah, it’s still a life,’ the woman continues, ‘and it seems to me if a woman is saying she was raped she needs to prove it.’ ‘Right, got you,’ replies Jackson." [Daily Beast, 6/17/26]
- Jackson Agreed With The Voter When She Said “Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right” And Said “Right, Got You” When She Argued Rape Victims Should Prove They Were Raped. According to Raw Story, "A voter said in the recording that 'if a woman is saying she was raped, she needs to prove it.' Jackson responded to that comment and agreed, The Beast reported. ‘I just want to see babies born, no matter how they were conceived,’ the woman said in the recording. 'I mean, the whole thing about a rape exception and everything, it’s like, I mean I know it’s horrible, but two wrongs don’t make a right.' 'They’ve still got a life,' Jackson said, agreeing with the voter. 'Yeah, it’s still a life,' the woman added, 'and it seems to me if a woman is saying she was raped she needs to prove it.' 'Right, got you,' Jackson responded." [Raw Story, 6/17/26]
¶ In Response To The Leaked Audio, Jackson’s Campaign Pointed To Jackson’s Support For Abortion Exceptions For Rape And Incest “Where The Rape Is Reported To An Appropriate Law Enforcement Agency”
Jackson’s Campaign Pointed To The Georgia Life Alliance Questionnaire In Which Jackson Marked Support For Abortion Exceptions For Rape And Incest “Where The Rape Is Reported To An Appropriate Law Enforcement Agency.” According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “But a spokesperson for Jackson’s campaign pointed to a candidate questionnaire from the Georgia Life Alliance that Jackson and Jones both completed earlier in the cycle. The two Republicans both answered ‘yes’ on whether Georgia’s law should include exceptions for cases of rape or incest ‘where the rape is reported to an appropriate law enforcement agency.’ That provision is also already in the 2021 law, which says an abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy is legal in cases ‘in which an official police report has been filed alleging the offense of rape or incest.‘" [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/9/26]
- Jackson Underscored His Support For Georgia’s Current Abortion Restrictions, Including Requiring An Official Police Report In Cases Of Rape Or Incest. According to CBS News, "In a statement to CBS News Atlanta, Jackson's campaign said reports suggesting he supports removing those exceptions are inaccurate. 'That's an incorrect framing based on 'Democratic spin,'' the campaign said. 'Rick strongly supports Georgia's current Heartbeat law and will defend it as governor.' 'As the AJC reported today, the current law allows an abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy in cases in which an official police report has been filed alleging the offense of rape or incest,' the statement said. 'Rick believes we have a strong pro-life law in place and he wants to keep it as it is.' The campaign pointed to a questionnaire completed for Georgia Life Alliance, saying both Jackson and his Republican runoff opponent, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, expressed support for the law's existing exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.” [CBS News, 6/9/26]
¶ Critics Claimed Jackson’s Agreement That Rape Victims Should Prove They Were Sexually Assaulted Reflected A Broader Skepticism Towards Women Reporting Sexual Violence
Jackson Agreeing With A Voter That Rape Victims Should Prove They Were Sexually Assaulted Before Obtaining An Abortion Exception Reignited A Debate Over Reporting Requirements And Critics Claimed Jackson’s Agreement Reflected A Broader Skepticism Towards Women Reporting Sexual Violence. According to the International Business Times, "The controversy stems from a private conversation recorded before Jackson secured the Republican nomination for Georgia governor. During the exchange, a voter expressed opposition to abortion exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape. The woman argued that if a person claimed to have been sexually assaulted, 'she needs to prove it'. Jackson appeared to agree with the statement. The conversation centred on abortion laws and exceptions for rape victims. The voter also stated that she wanted babies to be born regardless of how they were conceived, describing abortion as a second wrong after an assault. When the woman suggested proof should be required, Jackson responded affirmatively, creating the moment that has since dominated headlines. The recording quickly spread across political circles, with critics arguing that it exposed views often discussed privately but rarely expressed so openly during a campaign. [...] That requirement has long been debated by reproductive rights advocates, who argue that many survivors choose not to report assaults immediately due to trauma, fear of retaliation or concerns about the criminal justice process. Supporters of the reporting requirement argue that it helps prevent abuse of the exception while ensuring claims are formally documented. Jackson's recorded comments have reignited those arguments, with opponents claiming his apparent agreement with the voter reflects a broader scepticism towards women reporting sexual violence." [International Business Times, 6/23/26]
¶ Leaked Audio Revealed Jackson Calling For Restrictions To Abortion Medication While The Majority Of Abortion Patients In Georgia Relied On Abortion Medication
¶ Leaked Audio: Jackson Called To “Tighten Up” Access To Abortion Pills, Which Accounted For More Than 80 Percent Of Abortions In Georgia
April 2026: In An Unearthed Audio, Jackson Called To “Tighten Up” Access To Abortion Pills, Which Accounted For More Than 80 Percent Of Abortions In Georgia. According to Huffpost, "In the leaked audio, Jackson also called to ‘tighten up’ access to abortion pills, which account for over 80% of abortions in the state. Medication abortion is still accessible in person before six weeks or by mail when prescribed by physicians in non-restricted states. One of the two drugs used in medication abortion, mifepristone, has been at the center of anti-abortion fights because people are still able to access abortion care despite state abortion bans." [Huffpost, 6/8/26]
¶ Georgia Advocates Urged The U.S. Supreme Court To Preserve Access To Mifepristone By Mail, Warning Restrictions Would Lead To Unnecessary Delays And Increase Risks For Complications
May 2026: The U.S. Supreme Court Temporarily Restored Online And Mail-Order Access To The Abortion Drug Mifepristone After An Appeals Court Restricted Access. According to Politico, "The Supreme Court has temporarily restored online and mail-order access to the abortion drug mifepristone after a federal appeals court curtailed access to the medication on Friday. In a brief order Monday, Justice Samuel Alito put on hold a decision by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that limited how patients could obtain the pills. Alito’s order is in effect through May 11, giving all nine justices time to consider requests from the drug’s manufacturers to keep the appeals court’s ruling on ice while the Supreme Court considers whether to take up the issue." [Politico, 5/4/26]
Georgia Advocates Urged The U.S. Supreme Court To Preserve Access To Mifepristone By Mail, Warning Restrictions Would Lead To Unnecessary Delays And Increase Risks For Complications. According to WABE, "Georgia advocates for abortion rights are among a chorus of national reproductive rights groups urging the United States Supreme Court to preserve access to abortion medication by mail after a flurry of back and forth court rulings. The high court on Monday temporarily restored access by mail or pharmacy to the abortion medication mifepristone, blocking a lower court ruling that earlier reinstated a national requirement that patients secure an in-person doctor visit to fill their prescriptions. [...] Restricting access to mifepristone via telemedicine would lead to unnecessary delays in health care and increase the risk for potential pregnancy complications, said Monica Simpson, executive director of the SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, a plaintiff in an ongoing lawsuit against Georgia’s six week abortion restrictions, in a statement. ‘Mifepristone is one of two medications commonly used in medication abortion. It is also used in miscarriage care, helping people safely manage pregnancy loss without unnecessary delays. Restricting access to this medication is not just about mifepristone. It is about power and control over who gets to make decisions about their own body,’ Simpson said." [WABE, 5/4/26]
¶ Leaked Audio Showed Jackson Being Open To Criminalizing Abortion Doctors And Calling On Doctors To Present Evidence Even Though Georgia’s Restrictive Abortion Ban Already Delayed Emergency Abortion Care
¶ Leaked Audio: Jackson Agreed With A Voter Who Was Worried Doctors Could “Fudge” Records To Claim A Pregnancy Was Earlier Than It Actually And Said Doctors Had To Present Evidence To Not Have Liability
¶ Jackson Called On Abortion Doctors To Present Evidence And Suggested Physicians Need To “Prove That The Pregnancy Was The Right Number Of Weeks” Because "Doctors Are Not Going To Risk Their Licenses”
April 2026: In Newly Obtained Audio, Jackson Appeared Open To New Abortion Limits, Agreeing With A Voter Who Was Worried Abortion Doctors Could “Fudge” Records To Claim A Pregnancy Was Earlier Than It Actually Was And Saying Doctors Had To Present Evidence To Not Have Liability. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "Jackson supports Georgia’s anti-abortion law, which bans the procedure as early as six weeks and includes exceptions for rape and incest. But at a recent campaign stop in east Georgia, he appeared open to new limits pressed by a voter who worried doctors could ‘fudge’ records to claim a pregnancy was earlier than it was. ‘What do you think you could do as governor to go after doctors who just do something like that?’ asked the voter at a Walton County barbecue in audio obtained by the AJC. ‘Well, you basically make it against the law, No. 1,’ Jackson said. ‘No. 2, they have to have evidence to prove in order to not have liability themselves. They need to be able to prove it.’ He added: ‘If you implement that, doctors are not going to risk their license.’ The voter responded: ‘I think you know that you could make an example of one or two doctors.’ Jackson: ‘Absolutely.’ The same voter also pressed him on the law’s rape exception, which she said she opposes, saying ‘two wrongs don’t make a right.’ Jackson responded: ‘You’ve still got life.’ The voter continued: ‘It seems to me that, if a woman is saying she was raped, she needs to prove it. You know?’" [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 6/8/26]
April 2026: In The Unearthed Audio, Jackson Said He Would Be Open To Criminalizing Doctors Who Perform Abortions Outside The Six-Week Limit And Suggested Physicians Need To “Prove That The Pregnancy Was The Right Number Of Weeks” Because "Doctors Are Not Going To Risk Their Licenses.” According to Huffpost, "The gubernatorial candidate said in the same conversation he would be open to criminalizing doctors for performing abortions outside of the state’s six-week ban and suggested doctors need to ‘prove that the pregnancy was the right number of weeks’ because ‘doctors are not going to risk their licenses.’ Georgia law already criminalizes doctors who offer abortion care outside of the legal limit, classifying an illegal abortion as a felony that carries up to 10 years in prison. [...] Criminal penalties also make it harder for physicians to provide emergency care in cases of pregnancy complications or miscarriage. Despite the state’s exceptions for life and health of the mother, at least two women ― Amber Thurman and Candi Miller ― died because Georgia’s abortion ban prevented them from receiving life-saving care for pregnancy complications." [Huffpost, 6/8/26]
¶ Doctors Warned Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Criminal Penalties Made It Harder To Provide Emergency Care
¶ Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Exposed Doctors, Nurses, And Physicians Who Assist In The Termination Of A Pregnancy To Criminal Prosecution And Up To Ten Years Of Imprisonment
Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Exposed Doctors, Nurses, And Physicians Who Assist In The Termination Of A Pregnancy To Criminal Prosecution. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "When Gov. Brian Kemp signed one of the nation’s strictest anti-abortion bills into law on Tuesday, he made good on a campaign promise but also set the stage for a legal battle that the legislation’s critics hope will spill over to the polls in 2020. Supporters filled a ceremonial room in Kemp's office and applauded House Bill 481, which outlaws most abortions once a doctor can detect a fetus' 'heartbeat' — usually about six weeks into a pregnancy and before many women know they're pregnant. [...] The law exposes a woman to criminal prosecution for getting an abortion, as well as the doctor who performs the procedure, the nurse who assists and a pharmacist who prescribes medication that terminates a pregnancy." [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/7/19]
Abortion Providers Who Violated Georgia’s Abortion Restrictions Could Face Civil And Criminal Penalties. According to the Center For Reproductive Rights, "Georgia’s targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws include requirements related to facilities10 and reporting.11 State law restricts the provision of abortion care to licensed physicians.12 Providers who violate Georgia’s abortion restrictions may face civil and criminal penalties.13" [Center For Reproductive Rights, Archived 6/2/26]
- Abortion Doctors Convicted Of Performing Abortions Outside Georgia’s Limits Could Face One To Ten Years In Prison. According to the National Review, "First, there is a specific code section that applies to unlawful abortions. Georgia Code Section 16-12-140 states: (a) A person commits the offense of criminal abortion when, in violation of Code Section 16-12-141 , he or she administers any medicine, drugs, or other substance whatever to any woman or when he or she uses any instrument or other means whatever upon any woman with intent to produce a miscarriage or abortion. (b) A person convicted of the offense of criminal abortion shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten years. Code Section 16-12-141 is the exact section that was amended to include the heartbeat provision. If a person performs an abortion in violation of the heartbeat bill, then Code Section 16-12-140 applies. It does not impose life imprisonment on anybody, and Georgia courts have held that it does not apply to a woman who self-terminates, only to third parties who perform an abortion." [National Review, 5/11/19]
¶ Doctors Warned Georgia’s Abortion Ban Made It Difficult To Provide Abortion Care During Medical Emergencies “Without Risking Being Sent To Jail”
Multiple Doctors Testified That Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Made It “Impossible” For Abortion Providers To Perform Abortions For Patients “Experiencing A Medical Emergency Without Risking Being Sent To Jail.” According to the ACLU of Georgia, "Multiple doctors testified at the trial that under the ban, it is impossible for health care providers to know when they can perform an abortion for a pregnant patient experiencing a medical emergency without risking being sent to jail. For years, medical experts in Georgia have warned the State that this ban is going to ‘result in pain, suffering, and ultimately tragedy’ – in the Court’s words." [ACLU Of Georgia, 10/1/24]
Abortion Doctors Said Many Physicians Refused To Perform Abortions Due To “Fear Of Being Exposed To Criminal Charges” In Georgia. According to ProPublica, "When they do try to provide care, it can be a challenge to find other medical staff to participate. A D&C requires an anesthesiologist, nurses, attending physicians and others. Doctors said peers have refused to participate because of their personal views or their fear of being exposed to criminal charges. Georgia law allows medical staff to refuse to participate in abortions." [ProPublica, 9/16/24]
¶ Experts Warned Georgia’s Abortion Ban Delayed Emergency Medical Care That Caused A Georgia Woman To Die
HEADLINE: "Abortion Bans Have Delayed Emergency Medical Care. In Georgia, Experts Say This Mother’s Death Was Preventable." [ProPublica, 9/16/24]
Georgia’s Department Of Public Health Maternal Mortality Review Committee: Amber Nicole Thurman, A Georgia Woman, Should Not Have Died After Waiting 20 Hours To Obtain A Dilation And Curettage Procedure After She Ingested Abortion Pills And Did Not Expel All The Fetal Tissue. According to ProPublica, "In her final hours, Amber Nicole Thurman suffered from a grave infection that her suburban Atlanta hospital was well-equipped to treat. She’d taken abortion pills and encountered a rare complication; she had not expelled all of the fetal tissue from her body. She showed up at Piedmont Henry Hospital in need of a routine procedure to clear it from her uterus, called a dilation and curettage, or D&C. But just that summer, her state had made performing the procedure a felony, with few exceptions. Any doctor who violated the new Georgia law could be prosecuted and face up to a decade in prison. Thurman waited in pain in a hospital bed, worried about what would happen to her 6-year-old son, as doctors monitored her infection spreading, her blood pressure sinking and her organs beginning to fail. It took 20 hours for doctors to finally operate. By then, it was too late. The otherwise healthy 28-year-old medical assistant, who had her sights set on nursing school, should not have died, an official state committee recently concluded. Tasked with examining pregnancy-related deaths to improve maternal health, the experts, including 10 doctors, deemed hers ‘preventable’ and said the hospital’s delay in performing the critical procedure had a ‘large’ impact on her fatal outcome. Their reviews of individual patient cases are not made public. But ProPublica obtained reports that confirm that at least two women have already died after they couldn’t access legal abortions and timely medical care in their state. [...] Doctors and a nurse involved in Thurman’s care declined to explain their thinking and did not respond to questions from ProPublica. Communications staff from the hospital did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Georgia’s Department of Public Health, which oversees the state maternal mortality review committee, said it cannot comment on ProPublica’s reporting because the committee’s cases are confidential and protected by federal law." [ProPublica, 9/16/24]
Thurman Sought Abortion Care The Same Year In Which Georgia Passed An Abortion Ban That Prohibited Dilation And Curettage (D&C) Procedures With Few Exceptions And Threatened Doctors With Prosecution And A Decade In Prison For Violations. According to ProPublica, "In her final hours, Amber Nicole Thurman suffered from a grave infection that her suburban Atlanta hospital was well-equipped to treat. She’d taken abortion pills and encountered a rare complication; she had not expelled all of the fetal tissue from her body. She showed up at Piedmont Henry Hospital in need of a routine procedure to clear it from her uterus, called a dilation and curettage, or D&C. But just that summer, her state had made performing the procedure a felony, with few exceptions. Any doctor who violated the new Georgia law could be prosecuted and face up to a decade in prison. Thurman waited in pain in a hospital bed, worried about what would happen to her 6-year-old son, as doctors monitored her infection spreading, her blood pressure sinking and her organs beginning to fail. It took 20 hours for doctors to finally operate. By then, it was too late.” [ProPublica, 9/16/24]
¶ Rick Jackson Supported Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion Ban And Said He Would “Absolutely” Back Stricter Limits
¶ Rick Jackson Said He Would Support A Stricter Abortion Ban In Georgia And Touted Helping Pass Georgia’s Current Six-Week Ban
¶ Rick Jackson Said He Would Support A Stricter Abortion Ban In Georgia And Touted Helping Pass Georgia’s Current Six-Week Ban
HEADLINE: “Jackson Takes Credit For Georgia Abortion Ban, Backs Even Stricter Limits” [American Journal-News, 4/15/26]
March 2026: In Response To A Voter Asking If He Would Support A “Total Abortion Ban,” Rick Jackson Said He Would “Absolutely” Back A Stricter Abortion Ban In Georgia And Said He Was Really “Pleased” To Be A Part Of The “Behind The Scenes” With The Current Six-Week Ban. According to the American Journal-News, “Rick Jackson, a billionaire running for Georgia governor, took credit for the state’s abortion ban and said he would support even stricter prohibitions on the procedure. Jackson made these remarks at a March 21 meet-and-greet in Martinez. He was responding to a voter who asked whether he would support a ‘total abortion ban.’ ‘What we have in place, I’m not going to change it,’ Jackson said. ‘If anybody wants to do that, I would absolutely confirm it.’ […] Jackson, who is a prolific political donor, boasted in the same remarks that he helped shepherd the 6-week ban into law. ‘I think we’ve made really good progress on this issue with the 6-weeks,’ Jackson said. ‘I’m real pleased that I was a part of that behind the scenes.’” [American Journal-News, 4/15/26]
¶ Rick Jackson Said He “Wouldn’t Change A Thing” About Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion Ban
¶ Jackson’s Campaign Said He Supported The Six-Week Abortion Ban And Was Not Planning To Change It, Even Though He Previously Said He Would Sign A Total Abortion Ban Into Law
In Response To The Leaked Audio, Jackson’s Campaign Said He Supported The Six-Week Abortion Ban And Was Not Planning To Change The Current Abortion Law, Even Though He Previously Said He Would Sign A Total Abortion Ban Into Law. According to Huffpost, "‘Rick supports the current Heartbeat law as it stands and is not looking for changes to it,’ a spokesperson for his campaign wrote in an email to HuffPost. ‘Rick is proudly pro-life and supports our current law, and his statement echoes that.’ [...] Jackson’s comments, while notable, are perhaps unsurprising, considering he said in March that he would support a total abortion ban if it landed on his desk as governor. Though total abortion bans with no exceptions are seen as totalitarian, in practice they don’t really work. A 2024 study revealed that rape caused around 65,000 pregnancies in states with abortion bans, and authors found that ‘rape exceptions fail to provide reasonable access to abortion for survivors.’" [Huffpost, 6/8/26]
¶ Jackson Said He Was “Entirely Pro Life” And “Wouldn’t Change A Thing” About Georgia’s Abortion Ban
2026: Rick Jackson Said He Was “Entirely Pro Life” And “Wouldn’t Change A Thing” About Georgia’s Six-Week Abortion Ban. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “He said he is ‘entirely pro life’ and supports Georgia’s six-week abortion law, adding he ‘wouldn’t change a thing.’” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/18/26]
- Rick Jackson: “I’m Entirely Pro Life. I Support The Bill We Have Here. As Governor, I Wouldn’t Change A Thing, One Way Or The Other.” According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “‘I’m entirely pro life. I support the bill we have here. As governor, I wouldn’t change a thing, one way or the other.’” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/18/26]
¶ Georgia’s Abortion Law Banned Abortion “When Cardiac Activity Is Detected, […] At Approximately Six Weeks Of Pregnancy”
Georgia’s 2019 Abortion Law Banned Abortion “When Cardiac Activity Is Detected, […] At Approximately Six Weeks Of Pregnancy And Before Many People Know They Are Pregnant.” According to Axios, “The law took effect in July, shortly after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. It had been blocked since 2019.The law bans abortion when cardiac activity is detected, which is at approximately six weeks of pregnancy and before many people know they are pregnant.” [Axios, 11/23/22]
¶ Rick Jackson Supported Anti-Abortion Organizations And Clinics
¶ Jackson Touted Donating To Anti-Abortion Non-Profits And Crisis Pregnancy Centers In Georgia
¶ Jackson Touted Donating To Anti-Abortion Non-Profits And Crisis Pregnancy Centers In Georgia
Jackson Touted Donating More To Anti-Abortion Non-Profits And Crisis Pregnancy Centers In Georgia Than His Primary Opponent Burt Jones. According to Rick Jackson’s campaign Twitter, “.@RickJacksonGA : ‘I've given more to nonprofits and crisis pregnancy centers here in Georgia than probably you've ( @BurtJonesGA ) given in your entire life.’”
[Twitter, @TeamJacksonHQ, 4/27/26]
¶ Rick Jackson Denied Claims That His Business Supported Planned Parenthood
¶ Rick Jackson Called Jones’ Claim That Jackson’s Business “Helps Support Planned Parenthood” An “Absurd Lie”
¶ Rick Jackson Denied Jones’ Claim That Jackson “Helps Support Planned Parenthood”
February 2026: Rick Jackson’s Campaign Called Jones’ Claims That Jackson “Helps Support Planned Parenthood” An “Absurd Lie,” And Called Jones “A Desperate Trust Fund Baby.” According to Team Jackson’s Twitter, “Burt is now resorting to Biden-like behavior. This is an absurd lie from a desperate trust fund baby turned career politician. Quote Burt Jones @burtjonesforga @RickJacksonGA not only helps support Planned Parenthood - he also supports transgender care for inmates.”
[Twitter, @TeamJacksonHQ, 2/17/26]
¶ Breitbart Reported That A Subsidiary Of Jackson Healthcare Posted Job Listings For Planned Parenthood
Breitbart Reported That LocumTenens.Com, A Subsidiary Of Jackson Healthcare, Posted A Job Listing For “A Bilingual Planned Parenthood Nurse In Minnesota,” Which Described The Mission Of Planned Parenthood As “To Affirm The Right To Reproductive And Sexual Health And Freedom.” According to Breitbart, “A key component of Jackson Healthcare is LocumTenens.com, a job recruitment service provider to the healthcare industry. That company is not only used to search for potential employees for abortion giant Planned Parenthood but also by other hospitals to recruit doctors specializing in sex-rejection surgeries and the so-called transitioning of underage children. For example, one of LocumTenens.com live job listings at the time of Jackson’s announcement included a bilingual Planned Parenthood nurse in Minnesota — a state which has become the face of resistance against Trump. According to the listing, clinicians filling the position ‘are also advocates in implementing our mission of ‘To affirm the right to reproductive and sexual health and freedom for all by providing excellent care, trusted education, and fierce advocacy.’’ [Breitbart, 2/13/26]
- Rick Jackson’s Campaign Claimed “LocumTenens.Com Is A Free, Self-Service Job Posting Site” And “Does Not Review Or Edit Postings To The Site And Does Not Recruit Or Provide Such Positions.” According to Breitbart, “The Jackson campaign did not respond to an initial Breitbart News request for comment, but after this story’s publication, a campaign official who insisted the campaign had no record of receiving of Breitbart’s inquiry through the campaign website submitted a response from campaign spokesperson Dave Abrams: Self-dealing politician Burt Jones is losing the governor’s race and now launching a disgusting attack against Rick Jackson, who he knows has given millions to support pro-life causes. Rick Jackson is pro-life and has fought for vulnerable children his entire life. LocumTenens.com is a free, self-service job posting site similar to ZipRecruiter and Monster.com. Jackson Healthcare does not review or edit postings to the site and does not recruit or provide such positions. Unfortunately, some states still allow these procedures, but when Rick Jackson is governor he’ll criminalize transgender procedures on minors. He believes anyone who mutilates a child belongs 6 feet under the jail.” [Breitbart, 2/13/26]