A number of Georgia’s top Republicans, who are running for re-election in 2022, are fighting back against former President Donald Trump’s claims about the last election, but continue to put election security at the forefront of their campaigns.
Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger climbed to the top of Trump’s hit list after publicly denying his allegations of rampant state voter fraud in the 2020 general election, and both face major challenges in 2022 from Trump-backed candidates. Kemp is up against former Republican Georgia Sen. David Perdue, whose loss to Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff was caused at least in part by the GOP’s low turnout following electoral claims by Trump and his allies, while Georgia State Representative, Jody Hice who will challenge Raffensperger.
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The pair received positive media coverage for taking strong positions against Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud, but they faced heavy criticism from the left after Kemp signed SB 202 into law in March 2021.
Both Kemp and Raffensperger claim that SB 202 not only expands choice for Georgians, but also makes the state the “No. 1” on ballot security, but Raffensperger is still asking the state legislature to take additional ballot security steps before ballots are cast.
“I want to make sure the General Assembly passes a constitutional amendment this year that only American citizens can vote in the Georgia elections,” Raffensperger, who is also urging Congress to make similar changes to the U.S. Constitution, said in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
He’s also pushing for legislation that would ensure poll worker protections and “transparency” measures “for all observers from both political parties so they can look at the process and feel comfortable and safe with what’s actually going on with the workings of the elections.” .”
He further claims that Hice’s Trump-backed “electoral lie” made it impossible for him to “get federally elected.”
“I stand on the truth and I stand on my integrity and my opponent doesn’t stand on the truth. He’s standing on a lie. That’s a dangerous point for a pastor,” added Raffensperger. “I’m the only Republican who can win as Secretary of State in November 2022.”
Unlike Raffensperger, Kemp doesn’t think Georgia will need to adopt additional security measures for elections in 2022. He has specifically opposed a ballot box ban measure proposed by Senate Chairman Butch Miller, one of three Republicans running to succeed incumbent Lt. Gov Geoff Duncan, who is not seeking another term.
“You need to speak to these lawmakers individually. I think the action we took on dropboxes to make them available is the right thing for Georgians, but it also has to be a safe process,” explained Kemp. “And I think the General Assembly did that.”
Trump announced in July that he “would not endorse or endorse Miller’s refusal to cooperate with other Republican senators on voter fraud and state irregularities” and called for “strong and effective key challengers to the very important lieutenant governor’s position.” !”
Yet all of Georgia’s top Republicans have dismissed President Joe Biden’s claims that SB 202 was “Jim Crow 2.0” and his efforts to enact two new federal voting rights laws, “For the People” and “John Lewis Voting Rights.” to adopt.
“I really think states should be allowed to do what they want. I don’t like the idea of federalizing Georgia’s elections,” Raffensperger told the Washington Examiner. “Elections should be run by the state. That’s the constitutional way, so I would really encourage that more than anything, and let the states do that. But you come with recommendations, at least then it shows you a guide, and It really is a bipartisan guide. We want everyone to understand that we will have fair and honest elections like we have here in Georgia. It’s never been easier to vote, but we have proper guard rails, so it’s very difficult to engage in voter fraud.”
Kemp, meanwhile, called Biden’s recent Atlanta voting rights speech “ground zero for Biden and Harris’ attack on the integrity of the election.”
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“As Joe Biden spends this afternoon parroting talking points written for him by Stacey Abrams and her far-left allies, I will continue to fight for the truth and secure Georgia’s elections,” he continued. “Senate Bill 202, the Election Integrity Act, makes it easy to vote and hard to cheat. The bill expands early voting capabilities, secures 24/7 dropboxes, reduces long lines at polling stations, and implements the same voter ID requirement for absentee ballots that we’ve had for in-person voting for well over a decade, but Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Stacey Abrams have never allowed the truth to force their radical agendas on Georgians and Americans.
Original location: Georgia’s top Republicans are committed to election security and reject Trump’s claims for 2020
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