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Party on: Lt. Gov. Burt Jones rallies Republicans in the final stretch
President Donald Trump, left, and Lt. Gov. Burt Jones host Believers and Ballots Faith Town Hall in Zebulon, Georgia. (Credit: Team Trump)
You’ll have to forgive Burt Jones if he’s a bit tired. The state’s second-in-command has been keeping late hours in the final weeks leading to the Nov. 5 general election.
The lieutenant governor spent most of Wednesday squiring Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to a town hall in Zebulon and a gathering in Duluth that Jones called “kind of rock concert meets SEC football.”
“I didn’t get home till 11 or 12 last night,” said the 45-year-old, who has crisscrossed the state on behalf of Trump and lent his political heft to fellow state Republicans running for office.
At the Believers and Ballots Faith Town Hall at Christ Chapel Zebulon, Trump praised Jones, who has been a fixture in the state Legislature for about a dozen years and is widely expected to run for governor in 2026. Trump backed Jones’ bid for lieutenant governor in 2022.
The pair’s meetup comes a month after special prosecutor Pete Skandalakis decided not to pursue charges against Jones for efforts to overturn Trump’s 2020 presidential election loss in the state. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was barred from prosecuting Jones as part of her election interference case against Trump and others. Jones was one of 16 state Republicans who met at the Georgia Capitol in December 2020 to sign a certificate stating Trump had won Georgia even though Democrat Joe Biden had been declared the state’s winner.
State Affairs caught up with Jones amid his packed schedule of meetings and campaigning for state and national candidates. The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q. You just came from a town hall meeting with former President Trump. How was that?
A. It was good. The town hall down in Zebulon went really well. We had several thousand people, inside and outside. He enjoyed the town hall and then we went to Duluth.
Q. What strikes you most about him?
A. Oh, he’s just a great guy. Got a great personality, very engaging. I wish more people could see that side of him because he’s relatable and just loves this country and is wanting to see what’s in the best interest for the country.
Q. President Trump has been through Georgia numerous times. What have his appearances here meant to state Republicans?
A. Obviously, Georgia is going to play a pivotal role in this presidential election. He’s very popular all over the state. So his presence and his interest in our state for our base, it bodes very well. It energizes the base. It energizes people to get out and vote. That’s what we want folks to do.
Q. I guess he’s not holding it against us that we didn’t give him those [11,780] votes the last time?
A. We’ve moved on. We’re playing for the ’24 win.
Q. What’s your priority during the final two weeks of the election? Where are you going to be focusing your time, talent and influence?
A. I’m going to be moving around, helping him and JD Vance out. But I’m also going to be helping [candidates in] some races in the state House and the state Senate that are very important. I’m going to be doing everything I can to help out those who are in tough races. I’m not worried about any of our Senate colleagues, but there are some competitive House races.
Q. Which House races?
A. Any of those candidates that feel like they have a tough race.
Q. How much of your time in the last month has been spent campaigning?
A. Every day is different. Here in the final homestretch, sometimes you’re going to put in 12, 14 hours.
Q. State Affairs just did a series on Gen Z candidates, all of whom are Democrats. What are Georgia’s top GOP leaders doing to groom future Gen Z candidates?
A. The group we went to see [Wednesday night], Turning Point, a big part of their focus is college-age voters. We feel there’s a lot of energy out there with really every generation. I know people are taking home less of their paycheck because of the cost of living. They’re taking home less than they were four years ago. This race, I think, is going to come down to the cost of living, the economy and the border situation.
Q. I imagine you’ve been to every corner of the state during this election. When did campaigning pick up for you?
A. I’ve been constantly doing something since we got out of session in April. Obviously we had the unfortunate hurricane, where I wanted to go assess all the damage.
Q. Will the hurricane damage affect turnout at the polls?
A. I don’t think so. In fact, we’re seeing [early voting turnout] numbers where those counties that were hit have been good. So credit the local election officials who are making the voting booths available and everything else.
Q. Can former President Trump win Georgia? If so, how are Gov. Brian Kemp and top GOP leaders like you playing a role in helping him win the presidency?
A. We’re doing everything we can to help him win. I think he’s going to win Georgia and the majority of the battleground states.
Q. How are you feeling about state-level races?
A. I think we’re going to win. We’ll hold all our spots in the state Senate and I think we’re going to do very well in the state House. The Republicans will hold their majority in both the House and Senate when the dust is settled.
Have questions? Contact Tammy Joyner on X @lvjoyner or at [email protected].
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