A day after announcing his resignation from the Georgia House, state Rep. Vernon Jones said he will serve the remainder of his term.
The Lithonia Democrat, who made national headlines last week when he endorsed Republican President Donald Trump's bid for re-election, said in a video posted Thursday on Twitter that he received an "overwhelming amount of support" from his constituents after announcing his plan to resign.
“That was emotional and that was motivational,” he said. “Because of what you did for me, I’m going to remain on the battlefield. I’m going to complete my term. I’m going to continue to put my country before my party. And I’m going to do everything I can to get Donald J. Trump elected.”
Yesterday, I announced my intentions to resign from my office. But shortly thereafter, the outpour of support I received was too great for me to ignore.
— Vernon Jones (@RepVernonJones) April 23, 2020
I will not allow the Democrats to bully me into submission. I will not let them win.
I will NOT resign. #MAGA pic.twitter.com/gR2MsU5Rb3
A polarizing figure in Georgia politics for years, Jones said he will not allow backlash from other members of the Democratic Party to "bully (him) into submission."
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Jones did, however, file paperwork to withdraw his candidacy for re-election, a spokesman said.
Jones was preparing for a Democratic primary rematch against Rhonda Taylor, a legal services staffer from Conyers, whom he defeated in 2016. There is no Republican on the ballot, making Taylor the presumptive representative in January.
