State Rep. Derrick Jackson said if he were elected governor, Georgia’s abortion law “would be my first bill to repeal.”
Jackson made the comments to Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalists Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy on Tuesday’s episode of the “Politically Georgia” podcast.
The Tyrone Democrat said that as long as the abortion law exists, we “cannot talk about raising a family in Georgia.” The law outlaws abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is usually around six weeks.
Any attempt to roll back the law would face staunch opposition in the state Legislature, unless Democrats succeed in wresting control from Republicans.
Earlier this month, Jackson became one of the latest Democrats to enter the race for governor.
State Sen. Jason Esteves of Atlanta; former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; and Olu Brown, former pastor of Impact Church, have already launched campaigns in hopes of breaking Republicans’ decadeslong hold on Georgia’s top job.
Back in 2022, Jackson ran for lieutenant governor, finishing sixth in the Democratic primary.
But, the retired naval officer said the road to becoming governor has been on his mind since 2003 when he shook then-Gov. Sonny Perdue’s hand.
Before talking to Jackson, Bluestein and Murphy discussed Georgia’s politicians’ reaction to President Donald Trump ordering military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Have a question or comment for the show? Call or text the 24-hour “Politically Georgia” podcast hotline at 770-810-5297. We’ll play back your question and answer it during our next Monday mailbag segment. You can also email your questions to PoliticallyGeorgia@ajc.com.
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