What's it like to be on the other side of that, and can you kind of move forward now with Jackson as the nominee, knowing how it all went down?

Yeah, I mean, it li- it really did.

I, look, I can, I'm, I'm a big boy, I can, and I've been in this arena long enough.

I can, I can take the attacks.

They don't bother me.

I, I always tell people that, uh, you know, I probably, just from my days of playing sports and, and, and being dog cussed on the football field, you don't let things bother you.

You know, you move on.

What do you think is the path?

How important is it to continue Republican leadership?

I mean, look, it's vital.

If the Democrats were to ever take Georgia, we would never control national politics again, quite frankly.

And so Georgia is going to be ground zero once again.

We've got obviously the governor's race on the line.

We've got a U.S. Senate seat that will be up for grabs.

And so we need some strong candidates at the top of the ticket.

And there's a lot of things that are being said that I just look around and say, how in the world could the average Georgian be in favor of a boy pretending to be a girl trying to win a girls championship? And Keisha Lance Bottoms just came right out and said, that's a good thing.

How important is it to continue Republican leadership?

I mean, look, it's vital.

If the Democrats were to ever take Georgia, we would never control national politics again, quite frankly.

And so Georgia is going to be ground zero once again.

We've got obviously the governor's race on the line.

We've got a U.S. Senate seat that will be up for grabs.

And so we need some strong candidates at the top of the ticket.

And there's a lot of things that are being said that I just look around and say, how in the world could the average Georgian be in favor of a boy pretending to be a girl trying to win a girls championship? And Keisha Lance Bottoms just came right out and said, that's a good thing.

That's right

... wanting to, uh, wanting to participate.

Because obviously, look, uh, uh, you've gotta be- we're always for public education.

I'm a pro- uh, public edu- education.

You have to, you have to support it, and we have to do everything we can to improve it.

But, uh, not every public school system is the perfect fit for every child.

And, uh, when that is the case, uh, parents n- you know, there's nothing moreUh, you know, for a parent, uh, to not be able to have other choices for their kids when they're struggling in school, there's, there's nothing that makes you feel more helpless than, than that situation.

Absolutely

That's right

... wanting to, uh, wanting to participate.

Because obviously, look, uh, uh, you've gotta be-- we're always for public education.

I'm a pro- uh, public edu- education.

You have to, you have to support it, and we have to do everything we can to improve it.

But, uh, not every public school system is the perfect fit for every child.

And, uh, when that is the case, uh, parents n- you know, there's nothing moreUh, you know, for a parent, uh, to not be able to have other choices for their kids when they're struggling in school, there's, there's nothing that makes you feel more helpless than, than that situation.

Absolutely

What are we looking like right now? Who are you up against and what are the stakes?

Well, number one, I appreciate the endorsement.

Turning Point USA, we were honored to get the endorsement early on.

Obviously, we did a lot of hard work back in the legislative session to get the first Turning Point USA piece of legislation passed in the state of Georgia, and I think it was the first of its kind in the country that would allow endorsement.

uh you know uh individual groups to uh organize and and and high schools and as well as universities without being discriminated against for their political or religious view we appreciate all the help you gave us on on that effort right there this election we had eight people in the race and obviously we finished first uh in that election a couple weeks ago but now we're up against uh A guy who's really not a conservative guy, but he's got a billionaire healthcare executive that's been spending a lot of money, probably north of, we think, around $200 million now, if you can believe that.

That's like Tom Steyer-level funding in California.

Yeah.

Please just tell Georgians right now, tell the country, tell Georgians why that's so important to you.

Um, is there a, is there some redistricting gonna be happening down there because of the SCOTUS decision?

Yeah, I think when, uh, when we do go into special session to address these, uh, QR codes, uh, and I think there is a, a talk about that, well, that is, it was a part of the governor's call to look at the, the maps of redistricting, and, uh, we'll do that as well.

And, um, you know, I mean, look, we're having to do this because, uh, our secretary of state who's, who's running for governor right now, uh, never has been willing to comply with, uh, what the legislature passed two years ago.

Wow

... voted to impeach President Trump.

And, uh, and the list goes on and on.

Uh, and, you know, he's trying to por- portray himself as a he's-American-first guy, uh, but he's far from it.

A- and, um, and I think the Georgia voters are finally seeing that.

And so I think that it just gave us further boldness to be able to talk both about Jesus, but also about what we believe.

How's everybody doing tonight? Come on, y'all can do better than that.

How's everybody doing tonight? All right, listen up, everybody.

I'm Bert Jones.

I'm lieutenant governor of the great state of Georgia.

So good to be here with you today.

And I can just tell you, I was just backstage with our vice president.

I mean, you think about, like, as a father, I know most of you out there are too young to have kids, but one of the things that you think about as a father is, I want my kids to remember this moment, right? I want my six-year-old to remember when I took him to the zoo, or my six-year-old son was just baptized on Easter Sunday, and I want him to remember that moment

Tell us a little bit about what's on voters' minds as you go out and talk to them, and how, what you think will ultimately tip the decision come May.

Sure.

Well, obviously, uh, it's, it's, you know, kitchen table issues.

It's the economy as always, and it's gonna be gas and groceries and, and, and cost of living, basically.

And, and something that I've been proud of that I've done as lieutenant governor, I've lowered the state income tax all four years that I've been lieutenant governor.

I want to continue to do that.

Uh, we are capping property taxes, uh, this, this year in, in session right now.

That's right.

Tell us a little bit about what's on voters' minds as you go out and talk to them and what you think will ultimately tip the decision come May.

Sure.

Well, obviously, it's kitchen table issues.

It's the economy, as always, and it's going to be gas and groceries and cost of living, basically.

And something that I've been proud of that I've done as lieutenant governor, I've lowered the state income tax all four years that I've been lieutenant governor.

I want to continue to do that.

We are capping property taxes this year in session right now.

Sir, I know it's a federal issue, but when you see the TSA deprived of salaries for now more than 30, 40 days, 50 days, I guess we're coming up on the dysfunction in Washington, how harmful is it downstream and how frustrated are people that Congress just went home for a recess without fixing a pretty significant security problem?

Does that concern you?

Yeah.

In the Emerson poll, we were up.

So, uh, obviously poll numbers, you know, when, especially when his team is the one buying them, they can... you can fudge them to make them look however you want to.

We're winning every straw poll that we're going to.

We're going, uh, you know, to districts and, uh, congressional districts and, and county, uh, seats.

Uh, you know, we're drawing t- a couple hundred folks, and they'll do straw polls, and we're winning every one of those.

So how does that affect what you do, and how do you feel about this battle we're in?

Is that the same thing that's going on in, uh, in the state of Georgia?

Georgia?Well, it's even worse than that.

Even the re- the Republicans and Democrats, the Republicans I'm running against and Democrats we're running against, that you really couldn't tell the difference between them if you put them in the room, because, uh, the guys that I'm running against are such mar- mar- moderate lightweights, uh, that they might as well be running on the Democratic ticket.

Uh, it...

So it is kind of scary that, that in the Republican primary, I truly am the only common sense conservative, uh, candidate in the race, and- because the rest of them have a track record that is, that is easily exposed, and they are, they are, they are, they are not America first, I can assure you that.

I love it.

South Carolina, North Carolina, and, uh, and, and we, uh, we've lowered the state income tax all four years I've been lieutenant governor.

I'd like to see us go to zero.

Uh, for dads who want to sign up, and there are a ton of them out there listening right now that are fed up about this issue, what would you tell them to do?

Sure.

Well, I would tell them to go to, uh, girldadsforburt.com, girldadsforburt.com. And this is something that, look, we pushed, uh, two years ago, and Riley Gaines helped us with this effort.

Uh, we obviously, uh, before the federal, uh, act was, uh, put in place, we pushed and, and got it done in the state of Georgia, not allowing boys in, in girls' sports.

And, and as a, as a father of a teenage daughter who's a good athlete, uh, and, uh, likes to compete in a lot of different sports, uh, you know, it was a, it was a no-brainer for me and a lot of guys that, that I played with in college, that, that have daughters themselves.

They, they're, uh, involved with us, and it's just helping, uh, spread the word 'cause it is National Women's Sports Day.

You wonder where all the Title IX women were that fought for to, to put, uh, women on, uh, equal playing field as far as scholarships are concerned, uh, is concerned at the collegiate level.

Why do you think the state of Georgia has elected Republicans to statewide office, by and large, that are in state government, but has now, three consecutive cycles, elected senators who are Democrats and don't really represent the state of Georgia, particularly on this issue, which is just a cultural flashpoint, very well at all, and can that change in '26?

Uh, for dads who want to sign up, and there are a ton of them out there listening right now that are fed up about this issue, what would you tell them to do?

Sure.

Well, I would tell them to go to, uh, girldadsforburt.com, girldadsforburt.com. And this is something that, look, we pushed, uh, two years ago, and Riley Gaines helped us with this effort.

Uh, we obviously, uh, before the federal, uh, act was, uh, put in place, we pushed and, and got it done in the state of Georgia, not allowing boys in, in girls' sports.

And, and as a, as a father of a teenage daughter who's a good athlete, uh, and, uh, likes to compete in a lot of different sports, uh, you know, it was, it was a no-brainer for me and a lot of guys that, that I played with in college that, that have daughters themselves.

They, they're, uh, involved with us, and it's just helping us spread the word because it is National Women's Sports Day.

You wonder where all the Title IX women were, that fought for to, to put, uh, women on, uh, equal playing field as far as scholarships are concerned, uh, is concerned at the collegiate level.

Why do you think the state of Georgia has elected Republicans to statewide office, by and large, that are in state government, but has now, three consecutive cycles, elected senators who are Democrats and don't really represent the state of Georgia, particularly on this issue, which is just a cultural flashpoint, very well at all, and can that change in '26?

Uh, for dads who want to sign up, and there are a ton of them out there listening right now that are fed up about this issue, what would you tell them to do?

Sure.

Well, I would tell them to go to, uh, girldadsforburt.com, girldadsforburt.com. And this is something that, look, we pushed, uh, two years ago, and Riley Gaines helped us with this effort.

Uh, we obviously, uh, before the federal, uh, act was, uh, put in place, we pushed and, and got it done in the state of Georgia, not allowing boys in, in girls' sports.

And, and as a, as a father of a teenage daughter who's a good athlete, uh, and, uh, likes to compete in a lot of different sports, uh, you know, it was a, it was a no-brainer for me and a lot of guys that, that I played with in college that, that have daughters themselves.

They, they're, uh, involved with us, and it's just helping, uh, spread the word 'cause it is National Women's Sports Day.

You wonder where all the Title IX women were that fought for to, to put, uh, women on, uh, equal playing field as far as scholarships are concerned, uh, is concerned at the collegiate level.

Why do you think the state of Georgia has elected Republicans to statewide office, by and large, that are in state government, but has now, three consecutive cycles, elected senators who are Democrats and don't really represent the state of Georgia, particularly on this issue, which is just a cultural flashpoint, very well at all, and can that change in '26?