Raffensperger, a Republican, spoke out on Friday about his familys experience dealing with months of threats, such as one that read, You and your family will be killed very slowly, after his wife, Tricia, separately went public with the terrorizing messages. [52] In an interview, Raffensperger said that Trump "did most of the talking" on the call and noted that Trump's voter fraud allegations were "just plain wrong". | AP Photo/Ben Gray, As former President Donald Trump was trying to end Brad Raffenspergers political career, connecting him to conspiracy theories befitting an outlandish spy thriller, the Georgia secretary of state took heart in a different type of film: Dumb and Dumber.. State Rep. Bee Nguyen easily secured the first spot in the runoff, getting around 44 percent of the vote. Simple, the secretary of state announced late yesterday he opened his mailbox.Raffensperger told the media that Abrams' group tried to register his son in three separate applications even though he's been dead for two years. Nevertheless, it was known that Brenton Jay Raffensperger suffered from drug addiction and was even charged with cocaine possession and driving under the influence of drugs. He did it by meeting skeptical voters head-on, appearing regularly on conservative media and touting his support for conservative election policies. Trump spoke on the phone with that investigator, Frances Watson, the following day, continuing to push false claims and telling her that "when the right answer comes out you'll be praised.". Kenichi Serino. [3] Raffensperger is a member of the North Point Community Church. Nearly 45 percent of Republicans in the state disapprove of Raffenspergers performance, according to the poll. [33][34] Raffensperger rejected the calls for his resignation, saying, "As a Republican, I am concerned about Republicans keeping the U.S. Senate. Brad talked about using illegal drugs and how it led to the death of his child in one of his speeches. [25] Raffensperger pushed back on the proposal, saying: "By a wide margin, voters on both sides of the political spectrum agree that sending absentee applications to all active voters was the safest and best thing our office could do to protect our voters at the peak of COVID-19. [12] Raffensperger also sponsored a measure to amend the Georgia state constitution to allow the re-creation of a county that previously existed but had later merged with another county; the measure would allow northern Fulton County to split off to form Milton County. Geoff Duncan, a sharp critic of Trump who opted to not seek reelection this year. Raffensperger, a mild-mannered engineer by training, refused to go along with the president's request, but saw it as a threat, he writes in his new book Integrity Counts. ", "Raffensperger, Georgia secretary of state who drew Trump's ire, wins reelection", "General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election", "General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election Runoff", "December 4, 2018 General Election Runoff", "General Primary/Special Election - Official & Complete Results", "Fact Check: Brad Raffensperger's Brother Is Not A Chinese Tech Executive Named Ron", "Is Brad Raffenspeger the Brother of a Huawei Executive? He isnt on our voter registration lists in Georgia. We double-checked.. Tricia said she canceled visits with her grandchildren amid the threatening messages. They will soon be going to jail," Wood wrote. She is responsible for tracing foundations to do charity and cr What is the age difference between Hugh Jackman and his wife? Not everyone in state political circles is convinced Raffenspergers political plight is so grim. The second part is that the quality of a candidate actually still matters, and Jody Hice was a terrible candidate.. [64], Raffensperger and his wife, Tricia, have three children and two grandchildren. Brad Raffensperger refused while noting, "The data you have is wrong.". Raffensperger said his office did nearly 300 investigations into voter fraud but did not find evidence of substantial ballot tampering. The death of Brenton Jay Raffensperger was a big blow to his family and loved ones and the family received a number of condolence messages concerning his death. go ). I believe that people are good, and people are looking for good people that do the right thing. [27], To protect voting rights during the pandemic, Raffensperger directed the mailing of absentee (mail-in) ballot applications to all of Georgia's 6.9 million active registered voters for the state's June 2020 primary. So you say we got a chance, calling it a gallows-type humor paraphrase of Jim Carreys famous movie line. The comedian often celebrates Christmas and New Year's Eve with his household members. When is Meat Loaf funeral? Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger speaks during a news conference on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020, in Atlanta. [46][47] On the call, Trump pressured Raffensperger to change the election results for the state of Georgia to make him the winner; Trump told Raffensperger, "I just want to find 11,780 votes." "I've been traveling through the state of Georgia for a year now, and simply put, in a nutshell, what happened in fall of 2020 is that 28,000 Georgians skipped the presidential race, and yet they voted down-ballot in other races," Raffensperger said Tuesday. Because nobody knew who Hice was, we never had to mention him.. MacCallum responded by saying that it feels like this is very much about a grudge between the Georgia secretary of state and the senator. Please check your inbox to confirm. [38] Raffensperger said that South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham pressured him in a call to throw out postal ballots favoring Biden. Raffensperger described his office being flooded with calls, his personal information being shared on the internet and his wife getting texts many of which were "sexual in nature" as a way to put pressure on him. Performance & security by Cloudflare. In any event, we assume his family fulfilled all the requirements to bid him a final farewell back in 2018. But it wasnt with his primary opponent, it was with well-known Democrats who are disliked by the GOP base, Hunter said. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger demanded former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) apologize to his wife on Monday aftershe received death threats following the senators call for the secretarys resignation in November. Raffensperger still has more than a year to turn it around. newsletter for analysis you wont find anywhereelse. Trump went on to repeat those claims in his Jan. 6 speech at the Ellipse. President Donald Trump refused to recognize defeat and falsely accused his competitor, Joe Biden, of extortion after Biden won the electoral contest and the region of Georgia. [26] During the 2020 Georgia elections, Raffensperger sought to prevent Georgia polling places from printing paper backups of voter registration and absentee voting information in case polling places would struggle to use voter check-in tablets, called Poll Pads, which had been problematic in Georgia's primary elections in June 2020. Former state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler won the battle for the second Democratic runoff spot. Its in memory of my son Brenton J. Raffensperger, who died two years ago, Raffensperger said at a press conference on Wednesday. On Thursday, the Republican-controlled state legislature passed a law, signed by Georgia GOP Gov. REUTERS/Tom Brenner. She was raised with her two sisters. The national primary environment appears more favorable to Republicans running on the idea that the election was illegitimate, witha majority of Republican voters saying the November election wasnt free or fair. As a result, Trump tried for a long time to alter the outcomes of the political choice and maintain his position of power, but he eventually failed. And the Georgia Republican Party isnt exactly sitting on the sidelines. [29] Rather, Raffensperger created an online portal for Georgia voters to request absentee ballots. Just days before the crucial Georgia runoffs that will determine control of the US Senate, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger delivered a strong message to Donald Trump as the President . Denise is the executive director of the Ramsey Family Foundation. Sterling said the objects captured on video were not suitcases or trunks, but standard ballot carriers that allow for seals to be added to prevent tampering. But my job is to make sure we have a fair vote.. The answer in Georgia, so far, is that it will be exceedingly difficult if not flat-out impossible. Even assuming that the vast majority of those voters backed Raffensperger, it would have not been nearly enough to propel Raffensperger to victory but it could have been the boost he needed to get to the majority mark to avoid a runoff. [32] Trump continued to promote false claims about the electoral process after certification; some Trump supporters harassed or threatened Raffensperger, his wife, and Raffensperger aide Sterling, the state voting system implementation manager, including death threats. His sons widows home was broken into. the death threats from others were not related to his call for the secretary of state to step down. Last week alone, a Republican congressman announced hed challenge in the primary and the state legislature voted to strip his office of some official powers. Raffensperger's office investigated claims of 66,000 underage voters and found none. Denise Ramsey has been married to Bill Whittemore since 2011. Will voters now punish him? Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger demanded former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) apologize to his wife on Monday after she received death threats following the senator's call for the se You dont know if these people are actually going to act on this stuff., We just never wanted to have our grandchildren over here, and all of a sudden, a situation arose, Tricia Raffensperger, whose home was reportedly visited by members of the paramilitary group Oath Keepers, said during the CNN interview. It would make sense as to why somebody would think that. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. of State", "Trump demands Georgia secretary of state 'find' enough votes to hand him win", "Trump, on tape, presses Ga. official to 'find' him votes", "Donald Trump recorded telling Brad Raffensperger to 'find' votes to overturn his election defeat in Georgia", "Democrats ask FBI Director Wray to open criminal probe into Trump after leaked phone call - Reps. Ted Lieu and Kathleen Rice wrote that they believe Trump "engaged in solicitation of, or conspiracy to commit, a number of election crimes. Raffensperger is not without a fan base. The small, rural counties of Whitfield and Murray highlight Raffenspergers turnaround. He spent his childhood in Tolaha Bay of New Zealand befo Dave Ramsey daughter Denise Ramsey is 39 years old(1983). Its not a grudge at all, Raffensperger countered, adding Its really about getting the facts out.. 'This is something that was delivered to our home yesterday.'. [15], In the Republican Party primary, Raffensperger faced former Alpharetta mayor David Belle Isle, state Representative Buzz Brockway, and state representative Josh McKoon. . Brad spoke about his son's death and explained that his late son struggled with among other things addiction and a cancer diagnosis. In the months following the election, Raffensperger would come under pressure from Trump to change the outcome of the election. Fuchs, the senior Raffensperger aide, pointed to a POLITICO story last year in which some Republicans in the state wrote him off prematurely, she added. Trump sought to change the election result. And hes been rewarded by winning a Republican primary, said Georgia Lt. Gov. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, have consistently bashed Raffensperger for asserting Georgia ran a fair election after President Joe Biden narrowly won the state in November. [15] During his campaign, Raffensperger "said he would reduce government bureaucracy, support voter ID laws and push for verifiable paper ballots when Georgia replaces its electronic voting machines. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Kayleigh McEnany Is Married To MLB Player Sean Gilmartin. He added that his office investigated every single allegation it received, running down multiple rabbit holes to make sure its numbers were accurate. Also Read:Former White House Sec. He also spent a considerable amount of time talking to the media, especially the conservative press. Type above and press Enter to search. Every single allegation we checked. [72] There is a Huawei executive named Ron Raffensperger, but they are not related.[73]. "But just a total of four, not 10,000, not 5,000. David Belle Isle, the former mayor of Alpharetta who Raffensperger handily defeated in a 2018 runoff for the nomination, also announced he was running again. | It was he who was on the other end of the storied January phone call wherein Trump pushed him to "find 11,780 votes," a number that would eclipse the margin by which he lost the state to Biden. Theyre employees. His representatives otherwise declined to comment for this story, pointing to Raffenspergers past public statements. The Georgia secretary of state has insisted on multiple occasions that as a Republican, he wanted Trump to win, but he lost in a fair election. 46.175.224.27 "So there were no additional ballots accepted after 7 p.m.", A transcript of a phone call between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Brad Raffensperger, Georgia secretary of state, appears on a video screen during a hearing on the Jan. 6 investigation on Tuesday in Washington. The Memo: Republicans worry DeSantis has erred in Disney feud, McDaniel says party autopsy for 2022 shows independents didnt break for GOP, Ramaswamy says he wont let Trump dodge debates, Watch live: White House monkeypox response team holds briefing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. If either Republican wins reelection, the GOP will retain control, but if both Democrats win, the Senate will be split 50-50, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris becoming the tie-breaking vote. Raffensperger repeatedly rebuffed Trump's attempts to pressure him. AKCF also says it spent a smaller amount in the recent Idaho secretary of state race to boost Ada County Clerk Phil McGrane, a local election official who accepted the results of the 2020 election. Raffensperger said the postcards were all sent by New Georgia Project, a nonprofit that claims to derive its voter information from the state's official voter lists. In any event, we assume his family fulfilled all the requirements to . But Nguyen viewed as a rising star among Georgia Democrats will be the heavy favorite to secure the nomination in June. They said there were over 2,056 felons, we identified 74 or less, Raffensperger said of his efforts to look into baseless allegations made by Trump and his allies. It is a remarkable turn of events for a conventional Republican politician whose down-ballot election in 2018 went largely unnoticed outside his own state. Thats a fair and transparent accounting of what happened in November.. We investigated. Earlier this week, Rep. Jody Hice, a defender of Trumps effort to overturn the election, announced hes running with Trumps endorsement to unseat Raffensperger. [45] The law handed control of the state election board chair to the state legislature. We received three of these from the same source. [54][55][56], While some House Republicans tried to defend Trump's Georgia call, Democrats began drafting a censure resolution. But he hasnt done that.. [6][7][8] He replaced Dan McCabe on the City Council. Who is Gabriel Sterling and why is he important to the Jan. 6 hearings? A transcript of a phone call between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Brad Raffensperger, Georgia secretary of state, appears on a video screen during a hearing on the Jan. 6 investigation . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. And Raffensperger likely received a boost from Democratic voters who crossed over into the GOP primary. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7c0739500f79efc2 The White House was persistent in trying to reach Raffensperger, with staffers including former chief of staff Mark Meadows calling and texting his office 18 times to try to set up a call with the president. Jackman andDeborra-Lee Furness are 54 and 67 years old, respectively. All Rights Reserved. [57] On January 6, 2021, days after the call, a pro-Trump mob attacked the Capitol while the Congress was counting the electoral votes to formalize Biden's victory. The age difference between Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra is 13 years. Either way, as the GOP forges its post-Trump era identity, Raffenspergers reelection campaign is emerging as one of the earliest and most contentious test cases for the direction of the party. What I knew is we did not have any votes to find. ", "No," Raffensperger said. [40] Doug Collins, a Republican congressman from Georgia who lost his race and oversaw Trump's efforts in Georgia, falsely claimed fraud in the Georgia election, prompting Raffensperger, typically known for his mild manner, to call Collins a "liar" and "charlatan" for his rhetoric. In January, Raffensperger was asked by former President Donald Trump to "find" 11,780 votes to overturn the state's 2020 election results, a move which Raffensperger said led to weeks of death . [71], Raffensperger has four siblings. His wife's cell phone was also doxed and both of them got threats and pressure from strangers. "[43][44], In March 2021, the Republican-controlled state legislature passed a bill, which was signed into law by Kemp, that removed the position of state election board chair from the Georgia Secretary of State's duties. Perdue, along with Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), two days after President-elect Joe Biden was widely declared the winner of the presidential contest, accusing the secretary of state of failing to deliver honest and transparent elections., Raffenspergers request for an apology comes after the Post released audio on Sunday of a phone call between him and the president over the weekend, in which Trump repeatedly requests the secretary of state to. Absolutely, Im a Republican. Brenton Raffensperger is the late son of Bradford Jay Raffensperger, an American politician, businessman, and civil engineer, serving as the Secretary of State of Georgia since 2019. "[15], In the November 6, 2018, general election, Raffensperger finished with the most votes, leading Democrat John Barrow by less than one percent. Shared with POLITICOs Political Mailer Project, We leaned in heavy into a contrast message. [34] Both Perdue and Loeffler were up for re-election but failed to achieve a majority of the vote, triggering a runoff election in Georgia against their Democratic opponents, which took place on January 5, 2021, and determined party control of the Senate. [16] The Secretary of State also oversees business registration and occupational licensing. In 1920, Black farmers owned 14 percent of all farms in the U.S. Today, they own just 1.6 percent. And as Raffensperger celebrates his victory, some of Raffensperger's allies are incredulously mocking Hice's campaign, too. As the top official responsible for elections in Georgia, Raffensperger was responsible for managing the 2020 election in the state, which Biden won by a thin margin. Zach Hunter, the groups executive director, said in an interview that getting to those late undecided Republican voters was key to the groups strategy. That was an accurate count that had been certified, Raffensperger said. On November 20, Raffensperger certified the final vote totals, and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued the formal certification of the state's slate of electors. In an election cycle where secretary of state races are likely to get anear-unprecedented amount of attention, Georgias may be the most competitive. What I believed in my heart of hearts is that they were not seeing what I was seeing, Raffensperger said. Trump asked Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won this state. Facebook privacy settlement: Who is eligible for a payment? Raffensperger's son died of a Fentanyl overdose. While Sofia is the second-born child of Lionel Richie with his former wife Diane Alexander, Nicole was adopted by Lionel and h Robin Thede parents Dave Thede and Phyllis Thede are German-Americans. Later, after Raffensperger had denied the fraud allegations, Trump said he thought it was "dangerous for you to say that.". ", Schiff asked whether there was any way that Raffensperger could have lawfully changed the result of the vote in Georgia by explaining it as a "recalculation. This mailer was shared with POLITICO by a reader via our Political Mailer Project. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has become a symbol for discontent within the GOP. Learn more about Friends of the NewsHour. Sadly, Brenton Raffensperger's sentence to put a coffin in his living room didn't prevent his death. Sen. McGrane squeaked by two election deniers to win the GOP primary in that race. of State issued letter refuting fraud claims ahead of electoral vote count", "House Republicans rush to Trump's defense over Georgia call as Democrats prep censure resolution", H. Res. Raffensperger has been a focal point for Trump and his supporters since shortly after the presidential election. Despite the evidence to the contrary, Trump repeated claims of widespread voter fraud in Georgia during his public address on Jan. 6, putting Raffensperger and his family in even more danger. [35][36][37] Raffensperger denied this,[35][36][37] although he did say that fellow Republicans were pressuring him to find ways to exclude legal ballots. How Many Games Are Played In The First Round Of The NHL Playoffs. A mailer from the group obtained by POLITICO prominently featured Democrats, saying Raffensperger is fighting back against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams and their far-left agenda, a message repeated in TV ads. He was 38 years old when he passed away. In fact, hes the most popular Republican in Georgia, according to anAtlanta Journal-Constitution poll in January even more than Kemp or Trump. I couldnt have them come to my house anymore, she said. Reuters published a report on Friday detailing the threats individuals texted and emailed the Raffenspergers, as well as other elected officials and their families since the November contest some of which were shared with the FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Raffensperger confirmed that the U.S. Justice Department and the attorney general, as well as the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and his own office, had all found those claims to be false. By Andrea Widburg. His son's widow's home was broken into. | He possesses in-depth Sports Journalism experience with a proven record of achievements in creating and delivering high quality engaging media content. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images And while Raffenspergers win removes the threat of one of Trumps followers administering a battleground election in 2024, there are still several other states where that remains a possibility. With Trump losing by a narrow margin, he asked for a recount in Georgia, which he also lost. I used to say, 10 percent, huh? We made sure we ran an honest and fair election, Brad Raffensperger said Friday. Brad Raffensperger Son He issued further warnings to groups that haverepeatedly and aggressively attempted to register ineligible or deceased voters for the January 5 Senate runoff elections. The now-infamous Jan. 2, 2021, phone call in which Trump urged Raffensperger to "find" roughly 12,000 votes to overturn the state's election result was key to those efforts: During Raffensperger's testimony, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) played portions of the call in which Trump warned Raffensperger that it was "very dangerous" to dispute the president's claims of fraud. There is no information online on Brad's child's memorial, funeral procedure, or appearance. He defeated three challengers, including U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, who was Georgia, Texas, North and! THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. Now, allies of Raffensperger argue that he is well positioned to win reelection in November, when Democrats will be running hard for the office. Bradford Jay Raffensperger (born May 18, 1955)[1][2] is an American politician, businessman, and civil engineer, serving as the Secretary of State of Georgia since 2019. Here are the main points: 1. An early analysis from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that 7 percent of voters in this years Republican primary cast a ballot in the Democratic primary in 2020. [24][25] Later, Raffensperger further postponed the Georgia primaries to June 9 due to the coronavirus crisis. | On June 22, 2022 09:37 AM.
