U.S. Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA-10) announced Monday that he wants to replace Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and will run for Raffensperger’s seat next year.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, in a written statement, promptly endorsed Hice’s candidacy.
“One of our most outstanding Congressmen, Jody Hice, has announced he is running for secretary of state in the great state of Georgia. Jody has been a steadfast fighter for conservative Georgia values and is a staunch ally of the America First agenda. Unlike the current Georgia secretary of state, Jody leads out front with integrity,” Trump wrote.
“I have 100 percent confidence in Jody to fight for free, fair, and secure elections in Georgia, in line with our beloved U.S. Constitution. Jody will stop the fraud and get honesty into our elections! Jody loves the people of Georgia, and has my complete and total endorsement.”
Hice, in a statement on his campaign’s website, 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. Though I am encouraged to see the General Assembly taking it upon themselves to address some of the glaring issues in our elections, Georgia deserves a secretary of state who will own the responsibilities of the office. If elected, I will instill confidence in our election process by upholding the Georgia Constitution, enforcing meaningful reform, and aggressively pursue 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. If elected, my top priority will be ensuring every Georgian’s legally cast ballot is counted in future elections. I am excited about our campaign and I know together we can renew integrity!”
Raffensperger spokesman Walter Jones told The Georgia Star News Monday that he had no comment.
“This is Secretary Raffensperger’s official office,” Jones said.
“We have nothing to do with his campaign or party activities.”
According to Ballotpedia, Georgia’s secretary of state serves a four-year term.
The next election is scheduled for 2022.
According to Hice’s biography, he took office in 2015 to represent Georgia’s 10th Congressional District. He serves on the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee. For the 116th Congress, Hice serves as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations for the Committee on Oversight and Reform.
As The Georgia Star News reported, Raffensperger said he entered into a controversial Compromise Settlement Agreement and Release with Stacey Abrams because members of the Georgia Attorney General’s Office recommended he do so.
As reported last week, a Georgia Secretary of State official anonymous sourced a Washington Post story about Trump — a story that people now discredit. That story accused Trump of criminal behavior.
Former State Rep. Vernon Jones tweeted about The Washington Post story.
“It has now been uncovered that the Georgia Secretary of State released a deceptively edited recording of the president, in an attempt to embarrass him and mislead the public,” Jones wrote.
“He should resign immediately. Georgians deserve better.”
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Jody Hice” by Jody Hice.
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