Republican wins Georgia secretary of state election viewed as referendum on voter suppression allega [View all]
Source: ABC News
Republican wins Georgia secretary of state election viewed as referendum on voter suppression allegations
In a runoff contest widely viewed as a referendum on allegations of voter suppression and disenfranchisement that marred Georgia's midterm races this year, Republican former state Rep. Brad Raffensperger has won the election for state secretary of state, the Associated Press projects.
Raffensperger defeated former U.S. Rep. John Barrow in the race, which advanced to a second round after no candidate received a majority of the votes last month.
Normally something of an afterthought at the national level, the secretary of state election gained prominence in the aftermath of Georgia's high-profile gubernatorial contest. It was a prime example of the Democratic voter enthusiasm in 2018, but one in which Democrat Stacey Abrams nevertheless fell short of upsetting her Republican rival, Gov.-elect Brian Kemp.
On Election Day last month, Raffensperger received 49.09 percent to Barrow's 48.67 percent, a difference of just over 16,000 votes. Voting that night, and early voting in the weeks prior, overseen by the secretary of state's office, featured scores of complaints across Georgia about voter registration purging and difficulties in obtaining absentee ballots and confirming their receipt and legitimacy.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/georgia-secretary-state-runoff-framed-proxy-gubernatorial-rematch/story?id=59483556
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