Richard Lee Jackson (born March 16, 1954) is an American billionaire businessman and politician. He is the founder and CEO of Jackson Healthcare, a healthcare staffing and services company, in Alpharetta, Georgia.
After defeating lieutenant governor Burt Jones in the Republican primary runoff, he became the Republican nominee in the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election and will face Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms in the general election.
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Early life and education
Jackson has described a childhood in Midtown Atlanta marked by poverty and later time in the foster care system. He attended Lipscomb University in Nashville before dropping out.
Business career
Jackson founded his first medical recruitment business in 1978.
In 2012, Jackson, with businessmen Michael Kendrick and Larry Powell, purchased Family Christian Stores (FRS) from Madison Dearborn Partners. The company was converted to a nonprofit and made a subsidiary of Family Christian Resource Centers (FCRC), controlled by Jackson. A 2015 plan by Jackson to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy was opposed by the U.S. Trustee Office and initially rejected by a bankruptcy judge.
Jackson co-established Jackson Acquisitions, a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC), with Jeb Bush in 2021; Bush was chairman and Jackson was CEO. They dissolved the SPAC in 2023. The Internal Revenue Service sued Jackson Investment Group LLC in 2024 for underreporting $72 million in taxable income for 2019, seeking $38 million. The IRS made the determination after disallowing expenses related to several philanthropic ventures.
Jackson Healthcare
In 2000, he founded Jackson Healthcare, which provides healthcare staffing and workforce services. The company opened a new $100 million campus in March 2019, designed by architectural firm Rule Joy Trammell Rubio (RJTR) and styled after an Italian piazza. Jackson Healthcare earned nearly $1 billion from 2020 through 2026 — most during the COVID-19 pandemic — from various Georgia agencies through state contracts.
In 2021, Jackson Healthcare purchased USAntibiotics, an antibiotics manufacturer in Bristol, Tennessee. Jackson Healthcare acquired Omaha-based LRS Healthcare in May 2023. Jackson Healthcare is privately-held and reports more than $3 billion in annual revenue. John Bardis, Jeb Bush, and Tom Price are on the advisory board.
Political career
In the 2010s, Jackson funded an unsuccessful overhaul of Georgia medical malpractice claims, and wanted to privatize the state's foster care system. He successfully increased support for foster children. He has financially supported many Republican politicians, contributing millions to the Republican National Committee, state parties, and candidates. In December 2025, he gave $1 million to Make America Great Again Inc., a super PAC that acts as Donald Trump's political organization.
2026 Georgia gubernatorial election
In February 2026, Jackson announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor of Georgia and said he would self-fund a major portion of his campaign. He wants to freeze Georgia's property tax and cut the state's income tax in half. Describing his stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in an interview with WSB-TV, Jackson said, "I believe in diversity and inclusion. I don't believe in equity. I don't believe in equal outcomes, period," calling the latter "communism".
He was endorsed by Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr.
On May 19, 2026, Jackson received 32.5% of the vote in the Republican primary. Jackson defeated Burt Jones in a Republican runoff election on June 16, 2026. Jones had been endorsed by President Trump and Governor Brian Kemp. Since winning the Republican nomination, both Trump and Kemp have supported Jackson. He will face Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms in the 2026 Georgia gubernatorial election.
Personal life
Jackson lives in Cumming, Georgia, in a 47,000-square-foot (4,400 m2) mansion. He and his wife Melody (née Moore) have three children. One of their sons is president of Jackson Healthcare, and another son runs the Jackson Family Foundation.
Jackson co-produced the film 90 Minutes in Heaven (2015). He is a Christian.