The new member: Rep.-elect Brian Jack (R-Ga.)
How they got here: Jack defeated Democratic nominee Maura Keller 66 percent to 34 percent in this deep red district in western Georgia.
Inside the campaign: Jack, a longtime aide of President-elect Donald Trump, entered the race with the former president’s strong backing and linked his agenda to Trump’s throughout the contest.
Trump’s backing helped Jack emerge from a crowded GOP field and defeat former GOP state Senate leader Mike Dugan in a primary runoff in this ruby red patch of the Peach State.
The issues they’ll focus on: Jack ran on familiar Trump issues: the southern border, addressing crime in urban centers and strengthening the economy. However, he also made the extension and expansion of the tax package enacted during Trump’s first term a major focus of his campaign.
Background: The 36-year-old Peachtree City native worked on Trump’s successful 2016 campaign and then served as political director in the White House before later working for then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Jack then took on a senior role in the nascent Trump 2024 presidential campaign. His close proximity to the president-elect gives him uncommon insight and access for a freshman member of Congress, as well as extensive familiarity with the levers of power in Washington.
Campaign ad that caught our eye: His attempts to link arms tightly with Trump were evident. This ad features the president-elect saying his name repeatedly at one point joking, “You can do it either way: Jack Brian or Brian Jack.”
Fun fact: Jack is a member of the Georgia Historical Society and major fan of all Georgia sports, and recently celebrated new minor league baseball team the Columbus Clingstones.