In brief
Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Republican Secretary of State noted for rejecting Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the 2020 election results, has declared his candidacy for governor in 2026. Raffensperger aims to attract business-minded Republicans while pledging a bold conservative platform, including tax reforms and a crackdown on 'woke' curricula in schools. His primary challenge will be qualifying for the ballot amidst a GOP landscape increasingly polarized by Trump’s influence. Other prominent candidates in the race include Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr, while Democrats are led by figures like former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and state senator Jason Esteves.
ATLANTA (AP) — Brad Raffensperger, the Republican Secretary of State of Georgia, who came to prominence after he resisted Donald Trump's calls to overturn the state’s 2020 election results, announced on Wednesday his campaign for governor in the 2026 elections.
The affluent engineering entrepreneur intends to appeal to business-oriented Republicans, a demographic that has greatly influenced GOP primaries historically in Georgia. Despite the scorn he has received from Trump and his followers, Raffensperger is pledging a staunchly conservative campaign.
In a promotional video, Raffensperger stated, “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, who overcame Trump's discontent to gain reelection in 2022, now faces a new test of the Republican primary electorate's willingness to support a candidate who was notably targeted by the former president. His immediate challenge includes qualifying for the primary, given that the Georgia Republican Party voted to prohibit him from running under its banner, although the party chairman indicated that the prohibition may not always be enforceable.
Two significant rivals have already entered the race: Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, who publicly supported Trump's voter claims in 2020, and Attorney General Chris Carr, who sided with Raffensperger against the challenges to the election results. Other Republican candidates include Clark Dean, Scott Ellison, and Gregg Kirkpatrick.
On the Democratic side, contenders include former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Senator Jason Esteves, who has recently resigned from the Senate to focus on his campaign, and former state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. Additionally, Geoff Duncan, a former Republican lieutenant governor, recently announced his candidacy as a Democrat.
Raffensperger is campaigning on an ambitious agenda that includes eliminating the state income tax, capping property taxes for seniors, banning puberty blockers in gender-affirming care, and removing educational materials he considers 'woke' from schools. He is also committed to collaborating with Trump to create jobs and restore order in society.
Despite entering the race later than others, Raffensperger's established recognition and self-financing capability may provide him with an advantage. He recently sold his concrete reinforcement business for an undisclosed sum.
Throughout his tenure, especially following the 2020 election, Raffensperger has dealt with significant scrutiny and threats due to his refusal to support Trump's claims of electoral fraud. His steadfastness during a controversial phone call with Trump on January 2, 2021, where the former president pressured him to “find 11,780 votes,” has cemented his place in political history.
Raffensperger’s story is one of resilience in the face of considerable political pressure, and he now seeks to translate that into a gubernatorial victory in the upcoming election.
