ATLANTA — Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson is offering up a new economic plan to revive small, Black-owned businesses around Georgia as he campaigns for governor.
His Democratic opponent, Keisha Lance Bottoms, said she already created a program to do that.
Channel 2’s Richard Elliot was there on Wednesday as Jackson stood in the Sweet Auburn District to highlight his plan, if elected, to create legacy corridors in cities across Georgia.
Those are economic districts along historically Black-owned business areas to help stimulate growth and get business owners access to more capital.
“I understand the economic opportunity of starting a small business and being able to get out and experience the American dream. And if we provide guidance, teaching on how to be entrepreneurs and capital, then we’re really going to spur this on,” Jackson said.
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The Republican is reaching out to minority groups across the state in places many other Republican candidates have not traveled to.
But Bottoms isn’t buying it.
Elliot reached out to her campaign for an interview. They sent him a statement, saying Jackson “is a billionaire who made a fortune off taxpayer-funded, no-bid contracts and is running to continue profiting from that rigged system that hurts everyday Georgians and small businesses.”
Bottoms, too, is reaching out to rural Georgia, including traditionally Republican strongholds.
“Keisha has both the record of success and a plan to help small and minority-owned businesses thrive,” her statement said.
Jackson said he’ll continue to reach voters wherever they are with offers to help.
“They will say a Republican has no business being on Auburn Avenue. I’ve been told many times that I had no business being somewhere my entire life. But that’s OK, because I’m working every day to make sure Georgians know my heart,” Jackson said.
Jackson insists his legacy corridor plan will work. Bottoms insists she helped businesses along Auburn Avenue when she was mayor of Atlanta.
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