The 2022 Georgia Secretary of State election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the Secretary of State of Georgia. Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger won re-election to a second term. Raffensperger emerged as a major national figure in early January 2021 when he faced significant pressure from then-President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Trump had been taped in a phone call asking Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes," the exact number needed for Trump to carry the state. The party primary elections took place on May 24, with runoffs scheduled for June 21.
Raffensperger was elected in 2018 to a first term in a runoff against Democratic former U.S. representative John Barrow, the first time in Georgia history that any statewide executive election went to a second round.
Republican primary Candidates Nominee Brad Raffensperger, incumbent Secretary of StateLevine, Sam, He became a hero for halting Trump’s efforts to overturn the election. Will voters now punish him?, The Guardian, May 19, 2022
Eliminated in primary Jody Hice, U.S. representative for TJ Hudson, former Treutlen County probate judge David Belle Isle, former mayor of Alpharetta and candidate for Secretary of State in 2018
Endorsements
Debates 2022 Georgia Secretary of State Republican primary election debatesDateOrganizer Participant Absent (invited) Invited Not invitedSourceDavid Belle IsleJody HiceT.J. HudsonBrad Raffensperger1May 2, 2022Atlanta Press Club,Georgia Public Broadcasting P P P P
Fundraising Campaign finance reports as of April 30, 2022CandidateRaisedSpentCash on handBrad Raffensperger (R)$1,683,799$1,372,857$310,941Jody Hice (R)$2,221,750$1,781,490$440,260David Belle Isle (R)$479,175$476,319$2,855Source: Georgia Campaign Finance Commission
Polling Graphical summary
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error David JodyHice T.J.Hudson BradRaffensperger UndecidedLandmark CommunicationsLandmark CommunicationsMay 22, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%9%39%2%38%11%SurveyUSASurveyUSAApril 22–27, 2022559 (LV)± 4.9%4%20%5%31%40%University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaApril 10–22, 2022886 (LV)± 3.3%5%26%4%28%37%Landmark CommunicationsLandmark CommunicationsApril 9–10, 2022660 (LV)± 3.8%10%35%3%18%33%University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaMarch 20 – April 8, 2022~329 (LV)± 5.4%4%30%4%23%39%Emerson CollegeEmerson CollegeApril 1–3, 2022509 (LV)± 4.3%6%26%3%29%37%
Results
Despite opinion polls suggesting a tight race between Brad Raffensperger and Jody Hice as well as Trump's endorsement of Hice, Raffensperger ultimately won the primary election with a 19-point margin over Hice and avoided a potential runoff by winning an outright majority of the vote. This has been attributed to Hice's insufficient name recognition across the state and crossover voting in Georgia's open primary system where some Democratic voters voted in the Republican primary to vote against "Trump-backed extremists" like Hice.
Raffensperger performed best in the Atlanta metropolitan area, while Hice performed best in , where he served as a U.S. representative; only five counties outside the district were won by Hice. The only county to not be won by either Raffensperger or Hice was Treutlen County, Hudson's home county, which he won with 76.42% of the vote.
Democratic primary Candidates Nominee Bee Nguyen, state representative
Eliminated in runoff Dee Dawkins-Haigler, former state representative and candidate for Secretary of State in 2018
Eliminated in initial primary John Eaves, former chair of the Fulton County Commission and candidate for Georgia's 7th congressional district in 2020 Floyd Griffin, former state senator and former mayor of Milledgeville Michael Owens, former chair of the Cobb County Democratic Party, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and cybersecurity executive
Did not file Manswell Peterson, former college professor
Endorsements
First round Debates 2022 Georgia Secretary of State Democratic primary election debatesDateOrganizer Participant Absent (invited) Invited Not invitedSourceDee Dawkins-HaiglerJohn EavesFloyd GriffinBee NguyenMichael Owens1May 2, 2022Atlanta Press Club,Georgia Public Broadcasting P P P P P
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error DeeDawkins-Haigler JohnEaves FloydGriffin BeeNguyen MichaelOwens ManswellPeterson UndecidedSurveyUSAApril 22–27, 2022549 (LV)± 5.1%7%7%6%12%9%–60%Emerson CollegeApril 1–3, 2022509 (LV)± 4.3%13%14%4%7%5%0%57%
Results
Runoff Debate + 2022 Georgia Secretary of State democratic primary runoff debate Date Host Moderator Link Democratic DemocraticKey: Participant Absent Not invited Invited Withdrawn Dee Dawkins-Haigler Bee Nguyen1 Jun. 6, 2022 Atlanta Press Club Lisa Rayam YouTube
Results
Libertarian primary Candidates Declared Ted Metz, former chair of the Libertarian Party of Georgia and nominee for governor in 2018
General election Debate + 2022 Georgia Secretary of State debate Date Host Moderator Link Republican Democratic LibertarianKey: Participant Absent Not invited Invited Withdrawn Brad Raffensperger Bee Nguyen Ted Metz1 Oct. 28, 2022 Atlanta Press ClubGeorgia Public Broadcasting Lisa Rayam YouTube
Predictions SourceRankingAs of Sabato's Crystal BallNovember 3, 2022Elections DailyNovember 7, 2022
Post-primary endorsements
Polling Graphical summary
Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Brad BeeNguyen (D) TedMetz (L) Other UndecidedLandmark CommunicationsLandmark CommunicationsNovember 4–7, 20221,214 (LV)± 2.8%48%40%6%–6%SurveyUSASurveyUSASeptember 30 – October 4, 20221,076 (LV)± 3.7%39%36%–7%18%University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaSeptember 5–16, 2022861 (LV)± 3.3%50%31%6%–13%Phillips AcademyPhillips AcademyAugust 3–7, 2022971 (RV)± 3.1%50%34%––16%SurveyUSASurveyUSAJuly 21–24, 2022604 (LV)± 5.3%40%33%–7%20%University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaJuly 14–22, 2022902 (LV)± 3.3%46%32%7%–15%
Results
By congressional district Raffensperger won nine of 14 congressional districts. DistrictRaffenspergerNguyenRepresentative60%37%Buddy Carter48%49%Sanford Bishop67%30%Drew Ferguson24%74%Hank Johnson21%77%Nikema Williams63%33%Lucy McBath (117th Congress)Rich McCormick (118th Congress)41%56%Carolyn Bourdeaux (117th Congress)Lucy McBath (118th Congress)67%30%Austin Scott72%25%Andrew Clyde64%33%Jody Hice (117th Congress)Mike Collins (118th Congress)61%35%Barry Loudermilk59%38%Rick Allen21%78%David Scott70%27%Marjorie Taylor Greene
Notes
References
External links Official campaign websites Ted Metz (L) for Secretary of State Bee Nguyen (D) for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) for Secretary of State