Another Georgia Republican wants to replace current Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
That candidate, T.J. Hudson, told The Georgia Star News this week that he resigned his position as a Treutlen County probate court judge so he could compete for Raffensperger’s job.
“I am running for the position [but] not against him [Raffensperger],” Hudson said.
“A lot of things could have been different during the past election. I want to rectify the issue with preparing poll workers and election officials. That is key. The new system that was rolled out was a rush job,” Hudson said.
“Poll workers didn’t have enough time [to prepare], and election officials didn’t have enough time to learn that system. The system is difficult to navigate. We have to train our poll workers better.”
Hudson, according to his LinkedIn page, served as a probate judge from 2005 until this year and also handled election superintendent duties during that time span.
“I know elections from the ground up,” Hudson told The Star News.
“I was involved in a serious accident in 2017, and I should not have walked away from that accident. While I was there I just decided that there is something more that I should be doing. I have a passion for elections. I think the chief elections officer for the state of Georgia should have election experience. That is why I decided to run.”
According to Georgia Courts General, this accident was a car crash in December 2017. The accident crushed and broke multiple of Hudson’s bones. He required seven surgeries.
“T.J. serves in several capacities that impact the administration of justice across the state, including President-Elect of the Council of Probate Judges, Second Vice Chair of the Election Commission for the Georgia Election Officials Association, and Second vice Chair of the Magistrate Judges Council,” Georgia Courts General reported.
“He is also a past Chair of the Training Council for the Council of Probate Judges Committee.”
As The Star News reported last month, U.S. Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA-10) also wants to replace 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.
As 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.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Background Photo “Georgia Capitol” by DXR. CC BY-SA 4.0.
