Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has announced he’ll be the latest high-profile politician running to be the Peach State’s next governor.
Raffensberger, who became a national figure after he was asked by President Trump to “find” 11,779 in the 2020 election, joins a crowded field to replace Gov. Brian Kemp, who is leaving office due to term limits.
In a video announcing his candidacy, Raffensperger highlighted his work on Georgia’s elections, touting a 2021 Heritage Foundation survey that found the state was first in “election integrity,” as well as his Christian faith and business acumen.
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“I’m a conservative Republican, and I’m prepared to make the tough decisions. I follow the law and the Constitution, and I’ll always do the right thing for Georgia no matter what,” Raffensperger said.
If he is elected, Raffensperger pledged to have an administration with a “bold conservative agenda,” which included eliminating the state income tax, capping property taxes for seniors, banning drugs that block puberty from gender-affirming care, and purging “woke curriculums” from schools. He also promised to work with the president to increase jobs, deport immigrants with criminal records, and “restore law and order.”
Raffensperger’s conflicts with Georgia Republicans
The election official’s campaign will test Republican primary voters’ tolerance for a candidate who had been targeted by Mr. Trump in the past. In 2022, Raffensperger defeated three challengers in the Republican primary, including one who the then-former president had endorsed, before cruising to reelection over the Democratic candidate.
Earlier this year, Georgia’s Republican Party voted to ban Raffensperger from running under the party’s banner. Party Chairman Josh McKoon said that GOP’s attempt might not go anywhere due to Georgia law.
Who else is in the Georgia governor’s race?
Raffensperger joins two other top Republicans who are already in the race — Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr. Jones swore himself to be a “duly elected and qualified” elector for Trump in 2020 even though Democrat Joe Biden had been declared the state’s winner. Carr sided with Raffensperger in rejecting challenges to the results. Other Republican candidates include Atlanta businessman Clark Dean, Scotty Ellison, and Gregg Kirkpatrick.
On the Democratic side, the top candidates include former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, and former state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. Former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan switched parties after criticizing Mr. Trump and entered the governor’s race Tuesday as a Democrat.
Despite a later start than other candidates, Raffensperger has the benefit of an electorate that already knows him and the ability to finance his own campaign. The 70-year-old sold his concrete reinforcement company, Tendon Systems, for an undisclosed amount in 2023.
