By KATE BRUMBACK, Related Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is dealing with a tricky main problem Tuesday, practically two years after he drew the wrath of former President Donald Trump for refusing to attempt to overturn Trump’s loss to Democrat Joe Biden within the state.

Trump was fast to endorse U.S. Rep. Jody Hice final yr when he introduced he would problem Raffensperger. The secretary of state was a main goal amongst quite a few prime state officers Trump blamed for his loss in Georgia, which has lengthy voted reliably for Republican presidential candidates. Trump additionally lambasted GOP Gov. Brian Kemp, who’s battling a Trump-endorsed candidate in Tuesday’s gubernatorial main.

Hice has absolutely embraced Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and objected to Georgia’s electoral votes being counted for Biden. State and federal officers, together with Trump’s personal legal professional common, have stated there was no proof of widespread fraud. The votes in Georgia’s presidential election have been counted 3 times, and every tally confirmed Biden’s victory.

All three challengers within the GOP main — Hice, former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle and former probate and Justice of the Peace choose T.J. Hudson — have criticized Raffensperger’s dealing with of the 2020 election, saying he brought on Georgians to lose confidence within the system.

Raffensperger has punched again, staunchly defending his document and insisting that Georgia’s elections are truthful and safe. He additionally made prohibiting noncitizens from voting — a platform fashionable with conservative Republicans that’s already enshrined in Georgia legislation — a centerpiece of his reelection marketing campaign.

Trump’s obsession together with his election loss and his unproven claims of widespread fraud have put a highlight on down-ballot secretary of state races across the nation.

In a infamous telephone name on Jan. 2, 2021, Trump urged that Raffensperger might “discover” sufficient votes to swing the state’s presidential election end in his favor. Raffensperger’s unwillingness to bend to strain from Trump raised his profile nationwide.

On the Democratic aspect, 5 candidates are preventing for his or her occasion’s nomination. All of them have championed voting rights and criticized a sweeping election legislation handed by Republicans within the Common Meeting in 2021 that shortened the interval to request an absentee poll, added an ID requirement, restricted drop packing containers, and stripped the secretary of state of his seat on the State Election Board, amongst different issues.

State Rep. Bee Nguyen, who occupies the seat previously held by Democratic gubernatorial candidate and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams, leads the group in fundraising and has snagged some vital endorsements. The opposite candidates are: Floyd Griffin, a state senator and former mayor of the town of Milledgeville; Michael Owens, former Cobb County Democratic Get together chairman; John Eaves, former Fulton County Fee chairman; and Dee Dawkins-Haigler, a former state consultant from DeKalb County.

Copyright 2022 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials might not be revealed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.