Rick Jackson, the Republican running for governor in Georgia, is skipping President Donald Trump’s Peach State rally in Macon this weekend.
Jackson’s campaign told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Jackson would “be serving as a force multiplier and rallying Republicans in Cherokee County to turnout” instead of heading to the Saturday rally. Jackson has appeared in multiple rallies with Trump so far this year. Embattled Republican Senate nominee Mike Collins will be at the rally with the president, his campaign told the Washington Examiner.
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The news comes hours after the outlet released a new Trump approval rating poll in Georgia, pinging the president at just a 42% approval rating in a state he won in 2024. Trump’s disapproval rating in the state sits at 55%, per the new poll.
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<p>President Donald Trump listens to Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson speak at Wheeler High School, Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Marietta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)</p>
<p> ” data-large-file=”https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/rick-jackson-to-skip-trump-campaign-rally-in-georgia.jpg” src=”https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/rick-jackson-to-skip-trump-campaign-rally-in-georgia.jpg” alt=”Rick Jackson and Trump.” class=”wp-image-4756693″ srcset=”https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/rick-jackson-to-skip-trump-campaign-rally-in-georgia.webp 1021w, https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/rick-jackson-to-skip-trump-campaign-rally-in-georgia.webp?resize=300,200 300w, https://conservativemodern.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/rick-jackson-to-skip-trump-campaign-rally-in-georgia.webp?resize=768,513 768w” sizes=”(max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px”><figcaption class=)
President Donald Trump listens to Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson speak at Wheeler High School on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Marietta, Georgia. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)The Washington Examiner contacted the Jackson campaign for comment.
Jackson once vowed to become Trump’s “favorite governor” and touted the president’s endorsement, portraying himself as Trump-like but with a “Southern tone.” In recent weeks, however, he has sought to cast himself as an independent-minded Republican willing to work across party lines.
“I will stand up to anybody, just like Brian Kemp has done,” Jackson said during an Oct. 8 debate with Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms. Jackson pointed to Georgia’s popular two-term Republican governor, who has reached a term limit, as a model for balancing cooperation with political independence. “He works with both parties, both presidents, and he stands up when he disagrees.”
Jackson struck a similar note when asked whether the Justice Department should intervene in Georgia’s elections, deferring to Kemp rather than endorsing federal involvement.
“I don’t think it’s necessary,” he said, “unless Gov. Kemp thinks it’s necessary.”
The shift in tone has extended to Jackson’s campaign messaging. His campaign removed Trump’s name from a key section of its immigration policy page in early October, and a sweeping governing agenda unveiled in September emphasized an “intelligent” expansion of Medicaid rather than the cultural battles that have long animated Republican campaigns.
The race remains tight. RealClearPolling’s aggregate shows Jackson with 48.2% support compared with Lance Bottoms’s 46.6%. Meanwhile, election analysts at the Cook Political Report have labeled the race as a “Toss Up.”
