Georgia Gubernatorial Candidates Unveil Competing Plans to Tackle Rising Costs
ATLANTA — As the cost of living remains a pressing concern for voters, the gubernatorial race in Georgia sees both candidates offering strategies to address affordability issues.
Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms introduced her proposal on Wednesday, focusing on reducing grocery bills by advocating for a cut in sales tax. This follows Republican Rick Jackson’s previous month’s proposal targeting reductions in income and energy taxes.
Currently, the state of Georgia exempts groceries from its 4% sales tax. Bottoms’ plan would allow cities and counties the option to waive their local sales taxes on groceries as well.
Bottoms, a former mayor of Atlanta, expressed her commitment to this initiative, noting that if she becomes the first Democratic governor of Georgia in over two decades — and the first Black woman to hold the position — she will urge lawmakers to permit local governments to opt out of these taxes.
At a campaign event held at a small grocery store in Lawrenceville, Bottoms highlighted the impact of rising costs, describing it as an existential crisis. She remarked, “People are talking about how expensive it is just to exist,” referencing her interactions in community settings.
Jackson, who has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump, is framed by Bottoms’ campaign as potentially facing more harm than benefit from this alliance. Bottoms referenced Trump’s unfulfilled promise on lowering grocery costs, particularly eggs, during his presidency, stating, “Well, we are still waiting on him to deliver on that.”
Bottoms’ affordability strategy offers dual pathways for local leaders: either permanently abolish sales taxes on groceries and essentials or temporarily suspend these taxes amid significant price hikes. To counterbalance revenue losses, she proposes a one-year $250 million state fund for communities experiencing losses exceeding 5% of the previous year’s grocery-tax collections.
However, Bottoms acknowledges that implementing this plan depends on Democrats gaining control of both the state House and Senate, traditionally Republican strongholds. Her plan would require legislative approval.
Despite her aspirations for a Democratic majority, Bottoms expressed readiness to work with Republicans if necessary.
The Jackson campaign criticized Bottoms’ plan, arguing that Atlanta became less affordable under her mayoral tenure from 2018 to 2021. Jackson’s spokesperson, Garrison Douglas, emphasized, “Rick Jackson has treated it as a crisis since day one, and his plan doesn’t need permission from 159 county commissions.”
At a previous event, Jackson outlined his strategy to mitigate living costs by targeting various taxes, including a gradual reduction of the state income tax, eliminating state taxes on residential electricity and natural gas, and suspending the motor fuels tax during gasoline price spikes. He also committed to freezing rising home valuations to control property tax bills.
During her appearance at Al Huda Grocery, Bottoms referred to Jackson as “Slick Rick,” a name she used to underscore her criticisms. She cited Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ lack of endorsement for Jackson as potentially rooted in distrust, partly due to Jackson’s healthcare staffing company’s lucrative state contracts.
Bottoms highlighted, “Slick Rick received a $700 million no-bid contract in the middle of COVID, and he stood before cameras like this and said if he were elected, he wouldn’t continue to do business with the state of Georgia,” adding that the contract was recently extended.
Jackson addressed these contract concerns during a stop at Tommy’s Barbershop, asserting that any existing state contracts his company holds could and would be terminated if he became governor.
