Anti-Trump Rep Loses GOP Gubernatorial Primary

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — the Republican who famously refused President Trump’s demand to “find” votes in 2020 — has been ousted from the 2026 GOP gubernatorial primary, with two other candidates advancing to a runoff without him.

Story Snapshot

Raffensperger lost the 2026 Georgia Republican gubernatorial primary, ending his bid for governor.
Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and billionaire Rick Jackson advanced to a runoff to determine the GOP nominee.
The result is widely interpreted as a referendum on Raffensperger’s 2020 election decisions and his standing with Trump-aligned Republican voters.
Georgia’s general gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, with the Republican nominee to be determined in the runoff.

Raffensperger’s Bid Ends in Defeat

Brad Raffensperger, who has served as Georgia’s Secretary of State since 2019, launched his 2026 gubernatorial campaign in September 2025 despite carrying significant political baggage within his own party. ^[9] He entered a crowded eight-candidate Republican field, campaigning on issues he argued mattered most to Georgians. ^[5] Primary day voting concluded with Raffensperger failing to advance, ending a campaign he had pursued even as many in his party viewed him with deep suspicion.

The race advanced to a runoff between Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones and businessman Rick Jackson, according to NBC News projections and local Georgia news outlets. Neither candidate secured the outright majority required under Georgia law to claim the nomination outright, setting up a second round of voting before the November general election. ^[7] Raffensperger was not among those advancing.

The 2020 Shadow That Never Left

Raffensperger’s political difficulties inside the Georgia Republican Party trace directly to a now-infamous January 2021 phone call in which President Trump pressured him to “find 11,780 votes” to reverse Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. ^[2] Raffensperger refused, certified the results, and became a target of intense criticism from Trump and his supporters. Trump has repeatedly blamed Raffensperger for what he describes as a failure to address voter fraud — a characterization Raffensperger has consistently rejected. ^[8]

Despite surviving a 2022 primary challenge from Trump-backed Representative Jody Hice for his Secretary of State seat, Raffensperger’s ability to win over Republican primary voters in a statewide race for governor proved to be a different challenge entirely. ^[1] In 2022, he benefited from running against a single Trump-backed opponent in a lower-profile down-ballot race. A crowded gubernatorial primary with higher stakes and greater voter attention created a far more difficult environment for a candidate carrying his specific political liabilities within the MAGA-aligned base.

What This Result Signals for Georgia Republicans

Georgia has been one of the most closely watched battleground states in American politics since 2020, and its Republican primaries have consistently functioned as tests of Trump’s influence over the party’s base. ^[3] The 2026 gubernatorial primary is no exception. Incumbent Governor Brian Kemp, who also clashed with Trump over the 2020 results, is term-limited and cannot seek reelection, leaving the party’s direction in Georgia genuinely open. ^[7]

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, criticized by Trump over election integrity, lost the GOP primary. Trump-backed candidates won, signaling his strong influence. Raffensperger denied 2020 fraud claims. This deepens Republican divisions, potentially impacting. pic.twitter.com/ezxJVVtyOe

— News (@News2057533) May 20, 2026

The Jones-Jackson runoff will now determine which Republican faces the Democratic nominee in November. Rick Jackson, a billionaire businessman, and Burt Jones, the sitting Lieutenant Governor, represent different wings of the Georgia GOP coalition. For voters across the political spectrum who have watched Georgia become a flashpoint in the national debate over election integrity, voting procedures, and party loyalty, the runoff outcome will carry meaning well beyond state borders. Whether the result reflects genuine grassroots sentiment or the continued power of top-down political pressure from national figures remains a question Georgia voters themselves will ultimately answer.