Bottoms challenges Jackson to six debates as Georgia governor race heats up

Democratic candidate for governor Keisha Lance Bottoms laid out her ethics platform last week in Atlanta and is now challenging Republican opponent Rick Jackson to six debates ahead of the November election.

At a campaign event on Thursday, Bottoms released an ethics policy largely centered around limiting business interests of the governor with the state, according to GPB News.

“We will also very plainly and simply stop governors from making money off of this state,” she said.

Rick Jackson has sponsored hit ads against Bottoms that allege financial mismanagement during her tenure as Atlanta mayor. For example, Bottoms used a city credit card to purchase a plane ticket for her husband to the Super Bowl of 2018. Bottoms told reporters in August that she caught the error and reimbursed the city before it became public knowledge.

Bottoms’ ethics policies include requiring candidates for governor to divest from companies doing business in the state and increasing financial transparency. Bottoms has criticized Jackson for his medical staffing company’s ties with the state. Jackson has said he will terminate those contracts if elected.

Bottoms announced Monday that she is challenging Rick Jackson to six debates across the state.

“Georgians deserve to hear directly from candidates for public office with multiple debates around the state,” Bottoms said in a statement. “I’m ready to debate Rick Jackson in Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah. It’s time for Slick Rick Jackson to stop hiding behind his billions of dollars made off of insider state contracts and to start debating the issues that matter to Georgia families.”

A spokesperson for the Jackson campaign said that Jackson already committed two months earlier to a town hall debate on Oct. 6. The other potential debate dates are Sept. 17 in Macon, Sept. 22 in Atlanta, Oct. 12 in Atlanta, Oct. 13 in Savannah, and nationally televised debate on CNN in Atlanta with a date to be determined.