Vernon Jones is back on the ballot.
The former DeKalb County CEO and one-time Democrat turned Trump ally officially launched his campaign for Georgia Secretary of State, promising to “restore integrity and transparency” to state elections.
🗳️ Why It Matters: The job Jones wants is the same one that oversaw Georgia’s contentious 2020 election — and the office that became ground zero for Republican infighting. His entry all but guarantees a louder, sharper fight over who controls how Georgians vote and who counts those votes.
🔥 What’s Happening: Jones, calling himself an “America First patriot,” says his campaign will focus on “securing paper ballots, supporting strong voter ID laws, and limiting mail-in voting.”
He also says Georgia needs “leaders who put people, not politicians, first.”
That message echoes Donald Trump’s talking points — and it’s no accident. Jones, once a Democratic lawmaker from Lithonia, switched parties in 2021 after embracing Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
⚖️ Between The Lines:
Jones’ call for “election integrity” comes with heavy baggage. His record is a long one — and it’s riddled with controversy.
- As DeKalb County’s chief executive, he faced a rape accusation that he said involved a consensual encounter. Prosecutors declined to file charges.
- A federal judge ordered him to pay $45,000 in damages for blocking a constituent from his official Facebook page — a violation of First Amendment rights.
- Former DeKalb employees accused him of racial discrimination, claiming he tried to purge white managers to create a “darker administration.” A jury later awarded damages.
Each episode adds another dent to Jones’ claim of moral authority — but none have stopped his political comebacks.
🧩 Catch Up Quick: Jones began his career as a Democrat in the Georgia House in the 1990s before serving two terms as DeKalb’s CEO. He returned to the Georgia House in 2016,
He ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate, then for Georgia governor, then for Congress. Each time, he’s leaned harder into his new political identity as a Republican firebrand and Trump loyalist.
🌐 The Big Picture: Jones is betting that voters who distrust the 2020 outcome will see him as the fighter Georgia’s elections need — not the lightning rod his critics say he’s always been.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
