But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. How we check
Rick Jackson
Jackson told a Republican Jewish Coalition forum in March 2026 he would expand Georgia's investment in Israel Bonds, deepen Georgia-Israel economic ties and create a faith advisory body. We found no statement from him on U.S. weapons or money for the government of Israel, or U.S. aid to Palestinians.
The email has replies@butwhatcanyoudo.org in cc, so we can post their answer on their page in their own words; remove it if you prefer. Keep the subject line as it is, add your name, and send.
You asked Rick Jackson where they stand.
Deep Dive
Jackson, an Alpharetta healthcare executive, won the June 2026 Republican runoff for governor and faces Keisha Lance Bottoms in November. He has never held office, and his Israel record is recent and concerns state policy.
The Republican Jewish Coalition says it seeks to "foster and enhance ties between the American Jewish community and Republican decision-makers." At its gubernatorial forum on March 1, 2026, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he proposed three things: expanding Georgia's state investment in Israel Bonds, deepening Georgia-Israel economic and trade ties, and creating a faith-focused advisory structure by executive order. Israel Bonds are debt securities issued by the government of Israel, so a larger state holding means more Georgia money lent to that government. In a post that day he wrote: "When I’m governor, there’ll be zero tolerance for antisemitism in Georgia." In a March 13 interview, WTOC reported, he said he would travel abroad to recruit industry, including a proposed early trip to Israel to pursue high-tech business.
He has said nothing located about federal military aid, weapons, aid to Palestinians, or the conflict itself, and he left an iVoterGuide questionnaire unanswered, including its one question on Israel.
If you want his position on what America sends, you are better placed to get it than we are: ask Jackson directly and send us the reply.
The record
• At the Republican Jewish Coalition gubernatorial forum on March 1, 2026, Jackson proposed expanding Georgia's state investment in Israel Bonds, deepening Georgia-Israel economic ties, and creating a faith-focused advisory structure by executive order.
• In a March 13, 2026 WTOC interview, Jackson said that as governor he would travel abroad to recruit industry, including a proposed early trip to Israel to pursue high-tech business.
How this mark works
We track key votes on sending U.S. weapons and money to the government of Israel. A check means every tracked vote they cast came down against sending more, on the side of peace and de-escalation. A question mark means a mixed record: they sided with sending up to half of the time. An X means they voted to send more weapons and money in over half of their tracked votes, even as the way those weapons and dollars were being used became more and more obvious. At exactly half, money this election cycle from a lobbying group we track, or an endorsement from a group that backs sending weapons, makes it an X. Only votes actually cast are counted. Where a candidate has no recorded votes on these bills, the mark comes instead from a reviewed reading of their public record (money from the lobbying groups we track, endorsements, and their own words since January 26, 2024). There an X also covers fully backing the conduct of the war by the government of Israel without significant reservations, and a question mark also covers speaking about Israel without saying clearly where they stand on U.S. weapons and funding. A dash means No Position Found: we found nothing in their own words about Israel, Gaza or the war.
See a dash? Ask the candidate where they stand, then send us their answer and we'll review it and update the mark. Or volunteer to help review candidates.
Two reviewers, reading the public record as a whole, agree: In a March 2026 post on X he says that as governor "We'll expand our anti-BDS framework, support state investment in Israel bonds", without saying where he stands on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Reviewed by hand on 2026-10-09. This candidate has no recorded tracked floor votes.
In their words
Research log
The notes behind this card: what we looked at, what we found, and where each item came from.
U.S. military aid and weapons to Israel
- No statement or action located on federal aid or weapons; his comments are state-level (we searched his campaign record). His iVoterGuide form shows "Did not answer" on all 34 items, including "Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?" (read 2026-09-25). He answered none of its questions, so it says nothing about his views.
- [Read 2026-09-25] His campaign site's home page, action plan, coalitions page and press page carry nothing on Israel, Gaza, Palestinians or antisemitism.
U.S. aid to Palestinians
- Nothing located.
Characterization of the conflict
- Nothing located.
Related rhetoric and lobbying
- [Position, 2026-03-01, reported 2026-03-02] Republican Jewish Coalition gubernatorial forum (AJC, read and verified): proposed expanding Georgia's state investment in Israel Bonds, deepening Georgia-Israel economic ties, and creating a faith-focused advisory structure by executive order. The AJC carries these as his proposals without direct quotes. His post on X that day reads, in its first paragraph, "A real honor to join Georgia @RJC members today, especially given this weekend’s new significance." and, in its second, "When I’m governor, there’ll be zero tolerance for antisemitism in Georgia. We’ll expand our anti-BDS framework, support state investment in Israel bonds, and strengthen our" (the rest of the post cannot be read from outside X; read 2026-09-25).
- [Position, 2026-03-13] WTOC reported that, asked about recruiting employers, he "said he would travel abroad to recruit additional industry, including a proposed early trip to Israel to pursue high-tech business" (WTOC, read 2026-09-25). WTOC's words, not a quotation of his.
- [Position, 2026-06-16/17] Won the Republican runoff over Lt. Gov. Burt Jones (SC Public Radio/AP, Wikipedia). A CBS News video report on the runoff, published 2026-06-17, is also online.
Safety and antisemitism (context)
- [Position, 2026-03-01] In his post on X that day: "When I’m governor, there’ll be zero tolerance for antisemitism in Georgia."
- No standalone antisemitism or campus-safety policy positions located beyond the forum.
Also in this race
- –No Position Found Keisha Bottoms (Democrat)
All Georgia candidates.
See everyone on the Georgia ballot →But What Can You Do? tracks where 2026 candidates stand on U.S. weapons and funding for the government of Israel. Every claim on this page goes through at least two verification steps. Open Find Your Candidates for votes, funding and contact details.