Rick Jackson disputes reports about abortion comments, says he supports Georgia’s current law

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson is facing renewed scrutiny over his stance on Georgia’s abortion law, as audio recordings obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and HuffPost surface amid heightened attention to the law’s real-world consequences — including the death of Amber Thurman, a Georgia woman whose delayed abortion care made national headlines, as reported by CBS News.

Jackson is pushing back against those reports about comments he made regarding abortion restrictions in Georgia, saying recent coverage mischaracterized his position on the state’s abortion law.

According to the recordings, Jackson expressed support for further restrictions beyond Georgia’s current six-week abortion law and discussed potential enforcement measures aimed at doctors who violate state abortion regulations.

Georgia currently prohibits most abortions after cardiac activity can be detected, typically around six weeks into a pregnancy. The law includes exceptions for rape and incest when certain reporting requirements are met, as well as exceptions involving medical emergencies and fetal abnormalities.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that during an April campaign stop in east Georgia, Jackson was asked about enforcing the state’s abortion law and whether doctors could manipulate records to avoid liability.

“What do you think you could do as governor to go after doctors who just do something like that?” one attendee asked, according to audio.

“Well, you basically make it against the law, No. 1,” Jackson responded. “No. 2, they have to have evidence to prove in order to not have liability themselves.”

Later in the conversation, the attendee raised concerns about the law’s rape exception and argued that women seeking abortions under that provision should have to prove they were raped.

According to both the AJC and HuffPost, Jackson responded that a pregnancy resulting from rape is “still a life” and appeared to agree with the attendee’s comments about proving rape claims.

The comments have drawn attention because Georgia’s current law – called the LIFE Act-  already requires documentation in cases involving rape or incest.

In a statement to CBS News Atlanta, Jackson’s campaign said reports suggesting he supports removing those exceptions are inaccurate.

“That’s an incorrect framing based on ‘Democratic spin,’” the campaign said. “Rick strongly supports Georgia’s current Heartbeat law and will defend it as governor.”

“As the AJC reported today, the current law allows an abortion up to 20 weeks of pregnancy in cases in which an official police report has been filed alleging the offense of rape or incest,” the statement said. “Rick believes we have a strong pro-life law in place and he wants to keep it as it is.”

The campaign pointed to a questionnaire completed for Georgia Life Alliance, saying both Jackson and his Republican runoff opponent, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, expressed support for the law’s existing exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother.

Jones has also voiced support for broader abortion restrictions and has aligned himself with anti-abortion groups during his political career.

Abortion remains one of the most closely watched issues in Georgia politics following the state’s six-week abortion law, which has faced multiple legal challenges since Thurman’s death and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Jackson’s comments and his campaign’s response come as voters prepare to decide between him and Jones in the Republican runoff for governor on June 16.