Burt Jones | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Jones in 2023 | |
| 13thLieutenant Governor of Georgia | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 | |
| Governor | Brian Kemp |
| Preceded by | Geoff Duncan |
| Member of theGeorgia State Senate from the25th district | |
| In office January 14, 2013 – January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Johnny Grant |
| Succeeded by | Rick Williams |
| Personal details | |
| Born | William Burton Jones (1979-04-25)April 25, 1979 (age 46) Jackson, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Janice Boswell |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Georgia (BS) |
William Burton Jones (born April 25, 1979) is an American politician and businessman who has served as the 13thlieutenant governor of Georgia since 2023.[1] A member of theRepublican Party, he previously served as a member of theGeorgia State Senate from January 2013 to January 2023, representing the25th District.
Jones is a sixth generation Georgian fromJackson, Georgia.[2]
Jones is a 1998 graduate ofWoodward Academy and a 2002 graduate of theUniversity of Georgia, where he played football and received abachelor's of arts in history. He was co-captain of the2002 Georgia Bulldogs football team, which won theSEC Championship after a twenty year title drought.[3]
An oil executive,[4][5] he is heir to the Jones Petroleum Company.[6]
In 2004,[7] Jones founded JP Capital & Insurance, Inc., an insurance business inJackson, Georgia.[3][8][9] The insurance and lending company is a subsidiary of Jones Petroleum Co.[7][10]
Jones served as a member of the board of directors of theButts County Water and Sewage Authority from 2009-2021.[11] Following Jones' departure, his father, Bill Jones, took his spot on the board of directors.[12] While a board member, he voted to raise water and sewer rates.[13]
In June 2012, Jones announced his intent to challenge three term incumbent State SenatorJohnny Grant.[14] Jones, who framed himself as an outsider businessman ultimately defeated Grant 52.7% to 47.3% in the 2012 Republican Party Primary.[15]
Jones was elected a member of the state Senate in 2012, and he took office in 2013.[16] During his time in the state Senate, Jones served as the Chairman of the Insurance and Labor Committee, Chairman of the Banking & Financial Institutions Committee and as a member of the Appropriations and Transportation Committees.[2] While a member, Jones voted to establish a flat income tax rate,[17] prohibit teaching about systemic racism in schools,[18] and he co-sponsored legislation to allow biblical classes to be taught in high schools.[18]
He was a member of theGeorgia Freedom Caucus.[19]
In 2015, Jones was the first member of theGeorgia General Assembly to endorse businessmanDonald Trump in the 2016 Republican presidential primary. "Sometimes it might not be the most politically correct — as they say — thing to say, but he doesn't back down and he doesn't apologize for it", Jones said in August 2015. "I think people are looking for that in a leader now."[20]
In 2016, Jones, along with State Rep. Joe Wilkinson (R-Sandy Springs) led the push on Senate Bill 168 to declare "adoptable dog" as the official state dog of Georgia despite pushback from his Republican colleagues. Jones has also been a vocal leader on increasing funding for animal shelters and abused dog rescue efforts throughout the state of Georgia.[21]
In 2016, Jones led onSenate Bill 309, which allows for student athletes to express their personal religious beliefs during sporting events and enables high schools, which receive state funding, to participate in athletic competitions with schools outside of their designated conference. It was signed into law by GovernorNathan Deal on May 3, 2016.
Upon final signature Jones was quoted, "I’m grateful Governor Deal signed this legislation into law. Expressing ones beliefs and principles is a right that no one should be denied. It is also a huge step in the right direction to let athletes compete with members outside of their conference because it will increase the drive, skill level and motivation for athletes around the state. With increased competition, they will be motivated to do the best they can to stay at the top of their game."[22]
While some Georgia Republicans acknowledgedJoe Biden's victory in the2020 presidential election, Jones denied the election results and promoted Trump's false claims of election irregularities.[23][24] In December 2020, Jones was one of four state Senate Republicans who signed a petition calling on theGeorgia General Assembly to overrule the outcome of democratic elections within the state and "take back the power to appointelectors."[23] The petition called on GovernorBrian Kemp to convene a special session of the legislature to award Georgia's 16 electors to Trump, who narrowly lost the state.[25] Kemp denied the request.[25]
On January 5, 2021, hours before theU.S. Senate certified the electoral votes from the 2020 election, Jones brought a letter signed by himself and 16 other state legislators attempting to delay the certification.[26] While Jones had a private audience with Vice PresidentMike Pence that evening he decided against delivering the letter instead leaving it with hisUber driver.[26]
On January 19, 2021, Lieutenant GovernorGeoff Duncan stripped Jones of his chairmanship and membership of the state Senate Insurance and Labor Committee.[24][27] Over a series of months in 2021, Jones continued to question the results of the presidential election in Georgia.[28] In July 2021, Jones was featured at apro-Trump convention inRome, Georgia, centering on Trump's false claims of election fraud.[8]
In January 2022, the Justice Department began a criminal investigation into Jones as one of the false electors who attempted to forge electoral certificates for the State of Georgia after the 2020 election.[29] In July 2022,Fulton County, Georgia prosecutorFani Willis announced that she had sent atarget letter to Jones and two other Republican officials, warning them that they face indictment in connection with thefake electors scheme, which was part of theattempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election.[30] Judge Robert McBurney blocked Fani Willis from building a case against Jones because she planned to host a fundraiser for Charlie Bailey, the Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor.[31]
On August 14, 2023, Jones was named as unindicted co-conspirator #8 as part ofthe Fulton County indictment against Donald Trump and 18 others in connection with efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election,[32] and in April 2024 the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia announced that it was investigating whether to move forward with criminal charges against him.[33]
Jones announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination forlieutenant governor in August 2021.[34] During his campaign, Jones continued tocast doubt on the validity of the 2020 presidential election.[35]Donald Trump endorsed Jones.[35][36] Jones voiced support for same-sex marriage during his campaign.[37]
In 2022, the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission fined Jones $1,000 for filming and tweeting a campaign video the previous year before filing the paperwork necessary to accept campaign contributions and make campaign consent orders. The Commission's consent order said that Jones' campaign had accepted responsibility for the error.[38] Between February and May 2022, Jones used his family's private aircraft to travel to campaign events, without reporting the flights' costs as expenses and in-kind contributions on disclosure forms; Jones' campaign said that he intended to report the costs as a single line item after theprimary election was over, although Georgia law requires expenses and contributions to be disclosed as they are made.[39][40]
In the May 2022 Republican primary, Jones defeatedButch Miller, with Jones receiving 50.1% of the vote, Miller 31.1%, Mack McGregor 11.3%, and Jeanne Seaver 7.5%.[41] Obtaining a majority, he narrowly avoided arunoff election.[42] OfGeorgia's 159 counties, Jones received the most votes in 153 counties, and Miller received the most votes in six counties.[41] He went on to defeatDemocratic nominee Charlie Bailey in the November 8th general election, by 5%.[43] Jones was sworn in on January 9, 2023.[44]
Following his swearing in, Jones laid out his legislative agenda for the 2023 session. Included was seeking out extra funding for K-12 school counselors, eliminating the state income tax, and no further restrictions on abortion following the2019 law.[45] During the 2023 state budget negotiations, Jones pushed for a new hospital regulations that would allow counties with fewer than 50,000 residents "to build hospitals without first obtaining a costly “certificate of need” from state regulators." One such hospital was potentially going to be built in Butts County, Jones' hometown, on land owned by Bill Jones, Burt's father.[46][47] Ultimately the provision was not included, and the state budget passed the state Senate on March 29, 2023.[47][48][49]
Jones wrote a letter toSonny Perdue,Chancellor of the University System of Georgia inquiring as to how much USG funding was devoted toDiversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs within the state university system.
In Jones' letter to Perdue, he said: "In light of concerns you and other officials from the University System have expressed about the potential need to raise tuition or cut programs and services that are currently offered, I would like to learn more about how the University System spends the funds it receives."[50]
Jones' words came in response to a $66 million dollar slate of cuts to the state college program as part of the 2023 budget that Perdue felt as harmful.[51]
During the 2025 Legislative Session, Jones along with SenatorGreg Dolezal led support on Senate Bill 1, TheRiley Gaines Act.
Senate Bill 1 was based on legislative findings relating to the supposed need to protect girls’ and women’s athletics and the work of the Senate Special Committee on the Protection of Women’s Sports.
The Riley Gaines specifically aims to restrict transgender student-athletes from participating in women's sports and mandates separate restrooms and locker rooms based on assigned sex at birth. Upon passage Georgia joined 26 other states that ban transgender student-athletes from participating in women's sports and from using locker rooms of their preferred gender.[52]
After SB 1 was signed by GovernorBrian Kemp, Jones was quoted stating,
Just like President Trump is delivering on promises made in D.C., here in Georgia we are keeping our promises and fulfilling our commitments to the people of Georgia – specifically our female athletes. As the father of a female athlete – nothing is more important than ensuring that the protection of women’s sports is a reality in Georgia. I want to thank Governor Brian Kemp for signing Senate Bill 1 into law and Senator Greg Dolezal for sponsoring this priority. I also want to thank Riley Gaines and the other brave female athletes who shared their heroic stories and helped shaped this legislation; we couldn’t have done it without their courage and support. The Senate has always led the way on protecting women’s sports and with Senate Bill 1 becoming law, the protection of women’s sports is now a reality for all female athletes in Georgia.[53]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Burt Jones | 2,009,617 | 51.39 | ||
| Democratic | Charlie Bailey | 1,815,524 | 46.43 | ||
| Libertarian | Ryan Graham | 85,207 | 2.18 | ||
| Total votes | 3,910,348 | 100 | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Burt Jones | 61,330 | 67.66 | ||
| Democratic | Veronica Brinson | 29,315 | 32.34 | ||
| Majority | 32,015 | 35.31 | |||
| Turnout | 90,645 | ||||
| Republicanhold | |||||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Republican nominee forLieutenant Governor of Georgia 2022 | Most recent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Georgia 2023–present | Incumbent |
Statewide political officials ofGeorgia | ||
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