Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is facing a tough primary challenge Tuesday, nearly two years after he drew the wrath of former President Donald Trump for refusing to try to overturn Trump’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden in the state.
Trump was quick to endorse U.S. Rep. Jody Hice last year when he announced he would challenge Raffensperger. The secretary of state was a primary target among numerous top state officials Trump blamed for his loss in Georgia, which has long voted reliably for Republican presidential candidates. Trump also lambasted GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, who is battling a Trump-endorsed candidate in Tuesday’s gubernatorial primary.
Hice has fully embraced Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and objected to Georgia’s electoral votes being counted for Biden. State and federal officials, including Trump’s own attorney general, have said there was no evidence of widespread fraud. The votes in Georgia’s presidential election were counted three times, and each tally confirmed Biden’s victory.
All three challengers in the GOP primary — Hice, former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle and former probate and magistrate judge T.J. Hudson — have criticized Raffensperger’s handling of the 2020 election, saying he caused Georgians to lose confidence in the system.
Raffensperger has punched back, staunchly defending his record and insisting that Georgia’s elections are fair and secure. He also made prohibiting noncitizens from voting — a platform popular with conservative Republicans that is already enshrined in Georgia law — a centerpiece of his reelection campaign.
