ATLANTA
(AP) — A Democratic Georgia lawmaker who recently endorsed President
Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he is no longer planning to
resign and will instead serve the remainder of his term.
A day after Rep. Vernon Jones said he would resign
effective immediately, Jones posted a Twitter video stating he changed
his mind because he received “overwhelming” support from his
constituents.
“Because
of what you did for me, I’m going to remain on the battlefield,” Jones
said. “I’m going to complete my term. I’m going to continue to put my
country before my party. And I’m going to do everything I can to get
Donald J. Trump elected.”
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Jones
has been the subject of a complaint alleging that he doesn’t live in
his district, which includes portions of metro Atlanta’s DeKalb and
Rockdale counties. He has called the accusation baseless.
The Democrat made waves last week when he endorsed Trump,
stating in a video that he’s backing the Republican president because
of his support for criminal justice reform and historically black
colleges and universities.
The
endorsement resulted in swift blowback from fellow state Democrats,
many of whom publicly said they were making donations to Rhonda Taylor, a
community activist running for Jones’ seat in the state’s Democratic
primary set for June 9. State Sen. Nikema Williams, chair of the
Democratic Party of Georgia, had issued a statement calling Jones an
“embarrassment.”
“The Left hates me because they can’t control me,” Jones said on Twitter on Wednesday.
Although Jones will complete his term, he did withdraw his candidacy for re-election, a spokesman said.
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