Should Secretary Raffensperger Not Run For Re-Election?
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has been embroiled in an intra-party fight among the Georgia Republican Party that began with his and his office’s defense of the General Election where former President Donald Trump lost the state. Since November, it seems that Secretary Raffensperger and the Georgia Republican Party, mainly Chairman David Shafer, have been at odds with each other with the GAGOP blaming the SoS’ office for Trump’s underperformance while the SoS’ office is laying blame for the GAGOP’s poor campaigning that led to Democrats winning the Presidency and both US Senate seats.
The Secretary of State’s office rebutted most of the arguments from the Trump campaign regurgitated by the GAGOP, but Georgia Republicans have circled the wagons around respective camps–the GAGOP/Trump, Inc. and the Secretary of State. It seems like there are a lot more Republicans in the GAGOP/Trump, Inc. camp than in the SoS’ camp. This past week, the SoS’ office lost a good bit of credibility when the Washington Post published a retraction where it has said that, through a source, Trump pressured an elections investigator to “find the fraud” and that they would be a “national hero”. The recorded phone call said otherwise.
You may have missed this correction from The @WashingtonPost in which the paper retracted its false reporting that President Trump told @GaSecofState investigators to “find the fraud.” pic.twitter.com/QH2ZBg4Kmr
— David Shafer (@DavidShafer) March 15, 2021
The Georgia Republican Party executive committee took swift action to issue a resolution condemning the SoS and basically telling him to clean house:
WHEREAS, it has been reported that the chief investigator for the Secretary of State secretly recorded a telephone conversation with President Donald J. Trump and further reported Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs mischaracterized the contents of that conversation in a series of anonymous news interviews; and
WHEREAS, the subsequent false reporting was used as “evidence” by Democratic Members of Congress in the second impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump; and
WHEREAS, persons unknown within the Office of Secretary of State attempted to destroy the secret recording which contradicted Deputy Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs’ reported mischaracterization of the contents of that call;
WHEREAS, the troubling conduct of certain members of the staff of the Secretary of State has further undermined public confidence in the integrity of this office and our elections;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the State Executive Committee of the Georgia Republican Party hereby calls on the Office of the Inspector General of State of Georgia and the appropriate legislative committees of the Georgia General Assembly to investigate the governmental personnel involved in the aforementioned actions.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the State Executive Committee of the Georgia Republican Party hereby calls on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to issue a statement repudiating the reported aforementioned misrepresentation and attempted destruction of evidence and to relieve from power those engaged in this conduct no later than March 24, 2021.
Adopted on March 17, 2021, by the State Executive Committee
Resolutions calling for a specific action usually get ignored, but they do show the temperature for that instance in time. There’s at least enough handwringing inside the Georgia Republican Party to force the issue and #HoldOurElectedOfficialsAccountable. Of course, this is the same Georgia Republican Party who would rather sweep comments from its 2nd Vice Chairman under the rug instead of confronting him, but that’s none of my business, I guess.
If Secretary Raffensperger does decide to run for re-election, he faces at least two Republican challengers: Congressman Jody Hice (R-GA-10) and potentially 6th Congressional District Republican Chairman, and former challenger to Raffensperger, David Belle Isle. The issue is compounded by the reports floating around social media that Raffensperger was blocked from being a delegate to his county convention. Very rarely do you hear about someone attending the Precinct Mass Meetings, now Precinct Caucuses, not getting elected to participate…let alone an elected official, but here we are.
So, that brings me to the title of this piece: should Secretary Raffensperger elect to be a one-term Secretary of State? Don’t get me wrong, he has every right to run for re-election if he so chooses, and the Republican voters will make the decision whether or not he will be the nominee. However, my gut feeling is that he would have a very tough re-election bid. I’m also curious how the Georgia Republican Party would, or not, support Raffensperger if he were the Republican nominee in 2022.
Maybe it’s my lack of appetite for an elongated intra-party fight that becomes a campaign issue in the primary and general elections that leads to a Democrat being elected Secretary of State. Perhaps it’s time for Secretary Raffensperger to entertain the notion of removing this controversy from the 2022 election cycle and opt out of running for re-election. It might help in bridging the divide in the Georgia Republican Party
About Author
nsmith
Father. IT Geek. Former 14th District GOP Chairman (2015-2017). Former Walker GOP Chairman (2009-2013). Resident of Chamblee. American. Georgian. Conservative.
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Hice was Trumpian before Trump ran. He was a Republican who didn’t have to pivot because he was already in-line.
My guess is Hice would strongly appeal to the voters supporting #StopTheSteal. Far better than Raffensberger. The only Georgia politician who might have better bona fides to that group is Doug Collins.
Of course, Raffensberger could go to Trump, apologize, and get his endorsement. That would solidify his ability to get re-elected.
I don’t know him, but if I were in his position, I’d feel almost compelled to run because to not run- as personally preferred as it may be- would be to leave with the cloud over his reputation. Sure, he did most everything by the book. Sure, he capitulated and commanded multiple recounts in order to assure people who would never be assured, and in fact, cared not for assurance but only power. It would be easy for him to say the politics sucks and why would I care to be a part of such a mess. And many would understand. But he has been attacked and offended, and he has the support of his officers and deputies, and appears to stick by his principles, and care about the office and institution he represents.
Also, fwiw, I don’t think the SoS or Fuchs made much of an error, as Fuchs notes: “I believe the story accurately reflected the investigator’s interpretation of the call. The only mistake here was in the direct quotes”. There really is little discernable meaning between “find the fraud” and – paraphrasing- “go to Fulton so you can find the dishonesty”. The real contradiction is why Frances Watson would relay the former but also say s/he felt no pressure to do so.
Regardless, I think the Fulton D.A.’s investigation will also be instructive and shape the SoS’s feelings about running again. As it will shape the electorate’s feelings about voting for him.
If I was Raffensperger I would take 4 years off. He is between a rock and a hard place. If he feels the call for public service he could start over.
Man, Jody Hice would ruin elections in Georgia. He would use everything he could to block certain folks from voting.
So the guy who’s only guilty of a little CYA while being urged to commit felonies should be the one to opt out in order to bridge the gap in the Republican Party in Georgia? Perhaps the supporters of an irrational demagogue with the implausible, unsupported conspiracies should be the ones opting out for the good of the party (not to mention the good of the state). As long as Georgia keeps with open primaries and providing the Democrats don’t have a competitive one, I don’t think Hice will have a cakewalk. In any case I welcome his exit from Congress.
Excessive ambition is, I think , the leading cause of early political retirement.
Yeah, that was certainly the case with The Ox®, but it didn’t do Kemp any harm. OTOH, even Oxendine made out financially when he made off with his “campaign” funds. Same with Don Balfour. Public service done on the dark side has traditionally paid well in Georgia, even if you are ambitious.
The GAGOP is (very literally) dying off. Their actions aren’t bringing in any new members; Gran + PopPop won’t live forever.
I’m truly torn on whether or not Raffensperger should run again.
He seems like a good guy that we need in office, but without him, I think it will speed up the process of getting the last shovel of dirt spread over the GAGOP grave.
i find it odd that someone would give up a safe congressional seat to run for a competitive down ballot state race…governor, sure senate, yeah…sec of state…really?
I admit to disappointment in your post, Nathan. If I’m mischaracterizing you please correct me, but I thought you favored a center-right party of ideas, one committed to personal responsibility, but when given a chance to oppose the privileged trolls, fabulists, and professional Christians like Frost V, Shafer, and Hice, you instead suggest Raffensperger should consider not running for re-election to ‘bridge the divide’ in gagop.
Haven’t you guys rolled over enough for the fringe? Your vision for the gop sounds as if it’s aligned with Kemp, Duncan, and Raffensperger. Shouldn’t that be where you stand?
Hice was called to run for one reason, to be the point man in an effort to reduce the number of dems (read, people of color) who vote. It shapes up to be another unnecessary big money battle. Now’s the time to get on the other side of the fence.
https://apnews.com/article/legislature-voting-rights-ted-cruz-legislation-elections-6270306f67108ac16f4ee7b45a8afdb3?utm_campaign=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nuzze
Ditto ;), literally.