Georgia Republican official Brad Raffensperger is planning to contest for governor's seat, following his refusal to bow to Trump's demands concerning the 2020 election results.
Brad Raffensperger, the Republican Secretary of State of Georgia and a known Trump opponent, has announced his candidacy for Governor of Georgia in the 2026 election. Raffensperger made headlines in 2020 for refusing to manipulate votes, a decision that earned him political backlash but also solidified his stance as a defender of democratic processes.
Raffensperger's entry into the governor's race intensifies the primary in Georgia. The Republican Party is not without competition, with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr also vying for the position. Raffensperger's conservative credentials, however, may give him an edge, as he has pledged a strongly conservative campaign.
In 2022, Raffensperger was renominated and cruised to reelection over a Democrat, despite facing attempts to ban him from running under the Republican banner. His public stance remained unchanged, even amidst death threats, encounters with suspicious individuals, and being escorted out of the Georgia Capitol during the January 6, 2021, protests.
Raffensperger's decision to mail absentee ballot applications to voters before the 2020 election was a point of contention. However, in the wake of the 2022 election, lawmakers outlawed a repeat of mailing absentee ballot applications to voters and restricted the use of absentee ballot drop boxes.
Raffensperger's political journey has not been without controversy. He was stripped of his post chairing the State Election Board, and a Trump-aligned body was created to assert control over election processes. However, these attempts were later shot down by courts.
Raffensperger's bold conservative agenda includes eliminating the state income tax, capping property taxes for seniors, banning drugs that block puberty from gender-affirming care, purging 'woke' curriculums' from schools, and working with Trump to increase jobs and deport immigrants with criminal records.
On the Democratic side, top candidates include former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, and former state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. The primary on the Democratic side is expected to be just as heated as the Republican one, with thousands of voters who previously voted in Democratic primaries casting ballots in the GOP contest to renominate Raffensperger.
In 2023, Raffensperger sold his concrete reinforcement company, Tendon Systems, for an undisclosed amount. Trump endorsed US Rep. Jody Hice to challenge Raffensperger in the 2022 Republican primary, but Raffensperger managed to secure his renomination.
As the 2026 election approaches, the race for Georgia's governorship promises to be a fierce battle between conservative and liberal ideologies, with Raffensperger's candidacy adding an interesting dynamic to the mix.
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