Jackson enjoys brief homecoming

Published 8:00 pm Sunday, March 11, 2012

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney made two campaign stops in Mississippi this week, thus giving his aide and Brookhaven native Garrett Jackson a bit of a homecoming.

      Jackson’s parents, Jennifer and Teddy, were among the crowd at Romney’s Friday stop at the farmers market in the state capital. They’re proud, but not surprised to see their son by the side of the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination.

     “When he was a kid, he would watch politics while other kids were watching cartoons,” Teddy Jackson said Friday.

      Garrett Jackson, a 2005 Brookhaven Academy graduate serves as Romney’s “body man,” a close personal aide that travels with and assists Romney. During Romney’s Friday rally, Jackson was not around, but when it was time to go, he was at Romney’s shoulder.

      Though it was brief, Garrett Jackson was glad to spend some time in his home state.

     “It was great being home,” Jackson said in an interview Friday.

     Jennifer and Teddy Jackson saw even less of their son than he did of the state. Garrett and his parents shared a few minutes together backstage after the rally.

     During their backstage time, Teddy Jackson got to meet Romney for the first time. Jennifer Jackson had been introduced previously.

     Though he got to shake the hand of the former Massachusetts governor, Teddy Jackson was far more interested in the hug he got to give his son.

     “We can really only keep up with him on TV,” Jennifer Jackson said.

     But that’s life on a national presidential campaign.

     “It’s pretty much go, go, go all the time,” said Garrett Jackson, adding he has slept in his own apartment only once in months.

      Though Romney brought Jackson to Mississippi, Romney credits Jackson with bringing a little bit of Mississippi to the campaign.

      At his Pascagoula campaign stop, Romney called out Jackson by name during his speech and told the crowd Jackson was responsible for introducing Romney to some new things.

     “He’s now turning me into an, I don’t know, an unofficial Southerner,” Romney said. “I’m learning to say ‘y’all.’ I like grits. Things are, strange things, are happening to me.”

      For his part, Garrett Jackson said he did not expect to make an appearance in Romney’s campaign speech.

      Jackson began traveling with Romney during the book tour for Romney’s 2010 book, “No Apology: The Case for American Greatness.” At the time, Jackson said he did foresee his current job.

     “At that time, it wasn’t certain yet he was going (to run again),” Jackson said. “I was uncertain what my future was. I never guessed in a million years I’d be where I am.”

      However, Jackson also foresees that his home state will be a close race for Romney.

     “It’s going to be tight,” Jackson said about Tuesday’s GOP presidential primary. “It’s going to be hard.”

      However, Jackson pointed to the number of endorsements by state officials, including Gov. Phil Bryant, and the merits of Romney as a candidate.

     “I think people realize Mitt Romney is the only person that can beat Barack Obama,” Jackson said.