Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger entered the gubernatorial race on Wednesday, becoming the latest candidate to join an already crowded Republican primary field.
Raffensperger became a well-known figure nationally when he defied President Donald Trump’s calls to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and stood by Georgia’s declaration of then-candidate Joe Biden as the winner. For this reason, Trump and his allies still scorn him.
Despite this obstacle, Raffensperger is promising a strongly conservative campaign.
“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,” he said in a video posted on his new campaign website.
If elected governor in 2026, Raffensperger promises to lower taxes and bring more jobs to the state. First elected as Georgia’s secretary of state in 2018 after being a state legislator, he has highlighted his record on election security.
Raffensperger launched his bid for governor after Georgia’s Republican Party voted in June to keep him from running as a Republican. However, the party chairman said the effort may not be successful.
“I don’t really see a way for the Georgia Republican Party to decline someone the opportunity to qualify,” Chairman Josh McKoon said.
It remains to be seen how the Georgia GOP’s stance affects Raffensperger’s chances during the 2026 primary.
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Raffensperger is expected to face tough competition from other Georgia Republicans, primarily Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Attorney General Chris Carr.
On the Democratic side, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, and state Rep. Derrick Jackson are vying for Georgia’s executive office. Duncan, who became a Democrat after opposing Trump’s claims of a stolen election in 2020, entered the race on Tuesday.
