ATLANTA — Georgia state Rep. Derrick Jackson said Tuesday that he's running for governor next year, joining three other Democrats in a race without a clear frontrunner after two high-profile candidates decided not to run.

The metro Atlanta Democrat said he will launch his campaign Friday, emphasizing his work in business and politics and his 22 years of military service. The U.S. Navy veteran was elected to the state House in 2016 and worked as a marketing executive with General Electric.

As governor, Jackson said he would “put Georgia families first," in part by expanding access to medical care and economic opportunities in rural areas.

“My Republican friends love to tout Georgia as the number one state to do business, but I'm going to campaign on making Georgia the number one place to

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