A Georgia Republican running for governor is under scrutiny after his company’s work touched on transgender healthcare in prisons and recruitment for controversial providers, a set of revelations that put him on the same side of a hot-button issue once associated with Kamala Harris.
Rick Jackson, known as the co-founder of LocumTenens.com and CEO of Jackson Healthcare, is campaigning for Georgia governor and facing questions from conservatives who expect clearer boundaries on culture issues. His opponents include Lt. Governor Burt Jones, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, and Attorney General Chris Carr, with the Republican primary set for May 19, 2026. Voters should note both the business record and the policy implications that follow from it.
Critics have pointed to public materials showing that staff placed through Jackson’s network worked in correctional settings where care practices became a focus of debate. The controversy centers on the claim that clinical placements have involved care for incarcerated transgender patients and the filling of roles at reproductive healthcare providers. That overlap has drawn sharp reactions from conservatives who see it as out of step with pro-life and family-first priorities.
In a Q&A cited from the provider side, Dr. MaryAnn Curl described clinical differences she observed between institutions, saying, “I’ve worked with women’s prison populations due to our COVID response efforts, but not on their campus. In prison, women’s care tends to almost become women’s and children’s care, as some are pregnant and deliver while incarcerated, and we need to provide OB/GYN services,” Dr. Curl said. “That’s the biggest difference.”
Her comment was followed in the same material by the line, “We also provide care, including hormone replacement, for our transgender patients.” That explicit wording has become a flashpoint in the campaign, since many Republican primary voters object to taxpayer-funded or institutionally provided gender-transition treatments, especially inside correctional facilities.
A key component of Jackson Healthcare is LocumTenens.com, a job recruitment service provider to the healthcare industry. That company is not only used to search for potential employees for abortion giant Planned Parenthood but also by other hospitals to recruit doctors specializing in sex-rejection surgeries and the so-called transitioning of underage children.
Jackson has defended his work as a business operator serving broad healthcare needs. He stated, “I’m exceptionally proud of the countless people it has touched and the difference it continues to make in the lives of patients, families and communities across the nation.” Supporters point to philanthropy and broad healthcare impact, while opponents argue business reach is not the same as a political stance.
Self-dealing politician Burt Jones is losing the governor’s race and now launching a disgusting attack against Rick Jackson, who he knows has given millions to support pro-life causes. Rick Jackson is pro-life and has fought for vulnerable children his entire life.
LocumTenens.com is a free, self-service job posting site similar to ZipRecruiter and Monster.com. Jackson Healthcare does not review or edit postings to the site and does not recruit or provide such positions. Unfortunately, some states still allow these procedures, but when Rick Jackson is governor he’ll criminalize transgender procedures on minors. He believes anyone who mutilates a child belongs 6 feet under the jail.
The campaign exchange shows how the issue is being fought on multiple fronts: political rivals attack Jackson’s corporate footprint, while his camp insists on his personal pro-life credentials and promises strict measures on minors’ care. For Republican voters, the debate is less about corporate services and more about what policies a governor will enact to protect children and uphold conservative values.
Part of the wider conversation involves a high-profile 2024 clip of Kamala Harris supporting inmates’ access to “gender-affirming care,” which opponents use to frame this as a broader ideological issue that crosses party lines. That association with national figures fuels urgency among activists who want state leaders to draw firm lines on medical interventions for minors and on institutional practices in prisons.
