Hice Announces Bid for Secretary of State

U.S. Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) has announced a primary challenge to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. In a statement posted on his campaign website, Hice said, “Free and fair elections are the foundation of our country. What Brad Raffensperger did was create cracks in the integrity of our elections, which I wholeheartedly believe individuals took advantage of in 2020.”

Hice, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 2014, acknowledged the elections legislation currently working its way through the Georgia General Assembly but that “Georgia deserves a Secretary of State who will own the responsibilities of the office.” Hice said that his “top priority will be ensuring every Georgian’s legally cast ballot is counted in future elections.”

“If elected, I will instill confidence in our election process by upholding the Georgia Constitution, enforcing meaningful reform, and aggressively pursuing those who commit voter fraud,” Hice said. “Every Georgian, in fact, every American has the right to be outraged by the actions and, simultaneously, the inaction of our Secretary of State. Our state deserves a leader who steers clear of scandals and focuses on the incredibly important duties of the office.”

Hice’s candidacy has already been endorsed by former President Trump. Hice voted to challenge the consideration of electors from Arizona and Pennsylvania on January 6, the former of which occurred before the Capitol was invaded by pro-Trump thugs. He also objected to the electors from Georgia. Because Hice didn’t have a Senate sponsor, the objection was dismissed.

As Buzz noted over the weekend, David Belle Isle is also expected to announce his candidate today. Obviously, Hice declaring his bid for Secretary of State means that we’ll see a competitive primary in Georgia’s 10th Congressional District.