Embattled Georgia secretary of state running for reelection

Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, plans to run for reelection next year, even as he faces criticism from within his own party and a primary challenger backed by former President Trump.

Raffensperger confirmed his plans during a speaking appearance before the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County on Tuesday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Asked whether he would seek another four-year stint as Georgia’s top elections official, Raffensperger was clear about his intentions.

“I still enjoy the job and, yes, I’m running again,” he said, according to the Journal-Constitution. 

Raffensperger, a lifelong Republican, has come under fire from some in his own party, including Trump, over the past six months for refusing the former president’s pleas to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. 

Raffensperger has defended Georgia’s elections, repeatedly pushing back against Trump’s false claims that the election had been stolen from him through purported widespread voter fraud and systemic irregularities. 

That position has already drawn him a primary challenge from Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), who was endorsed early on by Trump. Last month, a handful of county Republican groups in Georgia voted to censure Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brain Kemp (R) for refusing to overturn Trump’s loss in the state.

Despite his political predicament, Raffensperger has defended his stance, saying that he had upheld the rule of law in the face of efforts to undermine it. In an interview with The Hill last month, he said that his actions had resonated with “commonsense Republicans.”

“Commonsense Republicans like the stance that I took because they know they’re based on the truth, they’re based on the law and they’re based on integrity,” he said.