Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger will run for Governor in 2026.
Raffensperger said in an announcement video that if elected, he would deliver a conservative agenda to build Georgia even stronger.
“I’m a conservative Republican, and I’m prepared to make the tough decisions,” Raffensperger said. “I follow the law and the Constitution, and I’ll always do the right thing for Georgia no matter what.”
Raffensperger’s campaign is focused on addressing addiction; lowering property taxes, particularly for seniors; allowing parents to take charge of their children’s education; banning transgender individuals from sports and banning and gender-affirming surgeries and treatments for children; and bringing high-paying jobs to the state.
Raffensperger joins Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Attorney General Chris Carr, and political newcomer Leland Olinger II on the Republican ticket. Former GOP Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan has also joined the race, but switched party affiliation and is running as a Democrat.
Other top Democratic candidates include former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, state Sen. Jason Esteves, former state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, Pastor Olu Brown, and state Rep. Derrick Jackson.
Georgia has elected Republican Governors every election since 2002. However, prior to former Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue’s victory, the Peach State had elected Democratic candidates every election cycle since 1872.
In 2020, Raffensperger was one of the few Republicans to reject President Donald Trump’s call to overturn Georgia’s election results more than a week after they were certified and the win was handed to former President Joe Biden.
“There are those who are exploiting the emotions of many Trump supporters with fantastic claims, half-truths, misinformation, and frankly, they are misleading the President as well, apparently,” Raffensperger said in 2020 after being pressured to overturn the results.
In June, the Georgia Republican Party banned Raffensperger from running as a GOP candidate, though, that hasn’t deterred the 70-year-old.
Raffensperger is a wealthy engineering entrepreneur who sold his concrete reinforcement company, Tendon Systems, for an undisclosed amount in 2023, allowing him to fund his own campaign.
In January 2024, state lawmakers moved to ban Raffensperger from the State Election Board, filing a bill (SB 358) that called to oust him from his role while authorizing the board to launch an investigation. The bill passed the Senate along party lines and passed unanimously in the House.
Another bill was introduced that same year (SB 189) and was signed into law by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. The measure removed Raffensperger from the board and further established the board as a separate entity. Kemp appointed John Fervier as Chair.
