Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger entered the race for governor Wednesday, casting himself as a conservative Republican prepared to lead one of the nation’s most contested political battlegrounds.
In a campaign video, Raffensperger declared, “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.” His announcement comes as Gov. Brian Kemp, limited to two terms, prepares to leave office, writes NBC News.
Raffensperger’s national profile was forged in the aftermath of the 2020 election, when he rebuffed then-President Donald Trump’s request to “find 11,780 votes” to overturn Georgia’s results. “The data you have is wrong,” Raffensperger told Trump in the recorded call, drawing fierce backlash from the former president’s supporters. In a 2021 appearance on Meet the Press, Raffensperger reflected that he had voted for Trump twice but insisted, “I followed the law, I followed the Constitution. And they believe that’s the honorable thing to do.”
The Republican primary is already crowded, with Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr expected to mount serious challenges. On the Democratic side, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan—who recently switched parties—state Sen. Jason Esteves, and state Rep. Derrick Jackson have all entered the contest.
Raffensperger’s launch video emphasized personal motivations, citing his Christian faith and the death of his son from addiction. “That’s why Brad will make it a personal mission to stop deadly drugs in our state, expand treatment and save lives,” the narrator said. The candidate also pledged to pursue conservative cultural priorities, promising to “ban biological men in women’s sports” and outlaw “transgender surgeries for minors.”
His campaign website outlines additional goals: banning puberty blockers for minors, capping property taxes, eliminating the state income tax, and removing what he calls “radical curriculums and policies” from Georgia schools. He also voiced strong backing for Trump-era immigration policies, promising to strengthen state and local law enforcement partnerships to deport “criminal aliens.”
Raffensperger came to national prominence by defying Donald Trump following the 2020 election when the president claimed that there had been fraud in Georgia. He also received attacks from Joe Biden after Georgia implemented voter security laws, which the Democrat labeled “Jim Eagle.” The law proved to be a success and Georgia maintained a large turnout in 2024.
Georgia, once a Republican stronghold, has shifted in recent years. President Joe Biden carried the state in 2020, and Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock now hold both U.S. Senate seats. Raffensperger’s candidacy will test whether a record of defying Trump yet campaigning as a staunch conservative can carry him to the governor’s mansion in a state where partisan lines have grown increasingly fluid.
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