Rick Jackson, recently announced as a candidate in Georgia’s Republican gubernatorial primary, has vowed in his campaign ads to outlaw diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout the state. Interestingly, records reveal that his healthcare company has been involved in promoting DEI-related programs in recent years.
This month, Trump supporters including Lt. Gov. Bert Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr also entered the Republican primary race. The primary election is set for May 19, 2026.
Jackson is the owner of Jackson Healthcare, a Georgia-based staffing and services firm. He stated in one of his campaign ads, “Ban DEI Madness.”
However, on March 11, 2022, Jackson Healthcare featured Dean Shane Jackson in a Facebook post announcing his participation in the 2022 Business School Diversity Conference, put on by the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business and backed by the Business School DEI Collaborative. This conference focused on how professionals can effectively advance DEI programs in their workplaces. The post also included a link to Shane Jackson’s LinkedIn post featuring the hashtag #dei, which has since been removed.
Additionally, a post from February 2021 showcased Dr. Matthew S. Harrison, then senior vice president of human resources development, who was set to discuss diversity and inclusion at the HERO Winter Think Tank. The company emphasized that these themes were vital for employee well-being and part of Jackson Healthcare’s Associate Network Group. Harrison noted that he would be addressing diversity and inclusion in relation to employee experiences and alliances.
When asked by Breitbart News for clarification regarding Jackson Healthcare’s previous DEI efforts, a spokesperson for Jackson’s campaign asserted that he would halt any mandates encouraging DEI, contrary to what his company had done in the past.
“Jackson Healthcare recruits talent based on ability, just like the Georgia Bulldogs select their players,” stated campaign spokesman Dave Abrams. He added that Jackson has never hired anyone based on anything outside their talent and skills.
Abrams further criticized Bert Jones, who, as lieutenant governor, played a role in the enactment of SB 140, which restricts sex reassignment surgery and hormone replacement therapy for minors. He claimed that Jones was attempting to protect doctors involved in such procedures and asserted that Jackson would hold them accountable.
Notably, previous reports indicated that at the time of his campaign announcement, job listings on a recruiting site owned by Jackson included positions for a bilingual family planning nurse in Minnesota, as well as roles targeting pediatric endocrinologists and specialists in transgender healthcare, including for minors.
Jackson’s campaign argued that the job site, LocumTenens.com, like other online platforms, allows for free, self-service job postings without a review process or attempts to recruit for specific roles. If he wins the governorship, Jackson reportedly aims to criminalize transgender procedures for minors, though it’s worth noting that some states currently permit certain options.
