Character and personal history shape Georgia governor’s race

Personal history and character took center stage in Georgia’s governor’s race over the weekend, as Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms and Republican businessman Rick Jackson used stories of hardship to make their case to voters.

Speaking at the Floyd County Democratic Party’s annual “Georgia Giants” fundraiser, Bottoms discussed growing up while her father struggled with addiction and was incarcerated. She said her family’s experience reflects challenges faced by families throughout Georgia.

“My dad struggled with addiction and it was something that was beneath the surface so everything on the outside looked OK,” Bottoms said. “But everything underneath really was a mess and in so many ways our story has been the story of so many families across the state of Georgia.”

Bottoms also criticized Jackson, who has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump, saying she wants to serve families across Georgia rather than focus on winning Trump’s approval.

“I want to be the favorite governor of that little girl who is going to visit her daddy in prison tomorrow,” Bottoms said, “and the favorite governor of that mother who’s trying to figure out if she’s going to be able to put enough gas in the car to get to work on Sunday.”

Jackson points to difficult childhood

Jackson, campaigning in Buford alongside Gov. Brian Kemp, also made his upbringing central to his campaign message. The Republican businessman described growing up in public housing, experiencing foster care and moving between schools and homes.

“I never met my father,” Jackson told supporters. “My mother was a waitress who battled alcoholism. I grew up in the Techwood projects in Atlanta. I had seven different stepfathers before I was 12 years old. I lived in five different foster homes and went to 13 different schools.”

Jackson said those experiences shaped his approach to leadership and responsibility, particularly when it comes to taxpayer money.

“A campaign can tell you what it wants you to believe,” he said. “A record shows who you really are. Power does not create character. It reveals it.”

Ethics become campaign issue

The emphasis on character comes as both campaigns face scrutiny over ethics and personal conduct.

According to GPB reporting, a Jackson-backed attack ad accused Bottoms of improperly using an Atlanta municipal credit card for a flight involving her husband while she was mayor. Bottoms said she discovered the accounting error herself and reimbursed the city, and she criticized Jackson for bringing family matters into the campaign.

Jackson has also faced questions about healthcare contracts involving his private business. He has said he would cancel any active state contracts if elected.