A target of Trump’s ire, Raffensperger fights for reelection

By KATE BRUMBACK
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — As former President Donald Trump sought to lay blame for his 2020 election loss, Georgia’s secretary of state emerged as one of his main targets. Now, with a Trump-endorsed challenger in the Republican primary, Brad Raffensperger is fighting to keep his job. The secretary of state gained national attention when he refused to bend to pressure from Trump to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the state. Last March, Georgia U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, a conservative Trump loyalist and former pastor, announced he would challenge Raffensperger in the Republican primary. He quickly secured the former president’s endorsement. Two others — former Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle and former county Probate and Magistrate Judge T.J. Hudson — are also challenging Raffensperger from the right.