Role: Georgia Secretary of State (January 2019 – present); Republican.

Classification: Republican official who resisted authoritarian pressure to subvert election results and provided critical evidence to criminal investigators.

Biographical Background

Bradford Jay Raffensperger (born May 18, 1955) is an engineer, business owner, and Republican politician serving as Georgia’s 29th Secretary of State. He holds a B.Eng. in Civil Engineering from Western University (Ontario) and an MBA from Georgia State University. CEO of Tendon Systems, LLC, a specialty contracting firm, and licensed professional engineer in 25+ states. He served on the Johns Creek City Council and in the Georgia House (District 50, 2015–2019) before winning the Secretary of State race in 2018.

2020 Election: Certification and Recounts

Raffensperger oversaw Georgia’s 2020 presidential election, where Biden defeated Trump by 11,779 votes. His office conducted three separate counts — the initial machine count, a full hand recount/risk-limiting audit, and a machine recount requested by the Trump campaign — all confirming Biden’s victory with nearly identical margins.

Throughout, Raffensperger publicly stated the results were accurate and resisted pressure from Trump, Senator Lindsey Graham, and other Republican officials. Gabriel Sterling, his Chief Operating Officer, held a press conference warning “someone’s going to get killed” if the incendiary rhetoric continued.

The January 2, 2021 Phone Call

Four days before the Capitol attack, Trump conducted an hour-long phone call with Raffensperger. On the line with Trump were Mark Meadows, Peter Navarro, John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani, Cleta Mitchell, and other attorneys. Raffensperger was joined by general counsel Ryan Germany.

Key moments from the call:

• Trump demanded “I just want to find 11,780 votes” — one more than Biden’s margin.
• Claimed he won Georgia “by hundreds of thousands of votes.”
• Repeated debunked conspiracies about dead voters, shredded ballots, and Dominion machines.
• Falsely accused election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss of ballot tampering.
• Implied legal consequences, calling it a “criminal offense” and “big risk” for Raffensperger.

Raffensperger and Germany rejected each claim, stating “the data you have is wrong.” Jordan Fuchs, his chief of staff, recorded the call on mute. The Washington Post released the recording January 3, 2021, after Trump mischaracterized the conversation on Twitter.

January 6 Committee Testimony

Raffensperger testified in two settings:

• November 2021 (closed-door): Provided 148 pages of testimony detailing each fraud allegation Trump raised and why each was false. Described pressure from Senator Graham and Georgia’s Republican congressional delegation.
• June 21, 2022 (public hearing): Testified alongside Gabriel Sterling, explaining how all recounts confirmed Biden carried Georgia. Stated he had wanted Trump to win but “the numbers are the numbers.”

The committee’s final report cited the Raffensperger call as key evidence and recommended criminal charges against Trump.

Fulton County Investigation

Raffensperger testified before the Fulton County special purpose grand jury on June 2, 2022, spending five hours at the courthouse. On August 14, 2023, DA Fani Willis secured a RICO indictment against Trump and 18 co-defendants, including two counts directly related to the Raffensperger call: soliciting a public official to violate their oath and making false statements. Raffensperger was a key witness, not a target. The recorded call served as the most direct evidence in the Georgia case — an unambiguous recording of Trump personally pressuring a state official to fabricate votes.

2022 Republican Primary

Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Jody Hice in March 2021 to unseat Raffensperger. Hice had objected to Georgia’s electoral vote certification on January 6 and promoted baseless fraud claims.

On May 24, 2022, Raffensperger won decisively with 52.4% (611,616 votes) vs. Hice’s 33.3% (389,447), clearing the 50% runoff threshold — a result few predicted. He defeated Democratic nominee Bee Nguyen in November. His motivation for running: “If the good walk off the field and leave the field to the bad, then the bad wins.”

SB 202: Election Integrity Act of 2021

Raffensperger supported Georgia’s Election Integrity Act (SB 202), signed March 25, 2021:

• Absentee voter ID: Replaced signature matching with driver’s license/state ID number.
• Drop box restrictions: Codified permanent use but limited to one per 100,000 voters or one per early voting site, indoor only, early voting hours only. Reduced Atlanta-area boxes from 94 (2020) to ~23.
• Shortened absentee window: Request deadline moved from 4 to 11 days before Election Day.
• Expanded early voting: Required two Saturday early voting days.
• Reduced SOS authority: Removed Secretary of State as State Election Board chair.

Critics condemned SB 202 as voter suppression targeting Black voters. Raffensperger defended it as security reform and leveraged his support to shore up conservative credentials during the 2022 primary.

Current Status and Ongoing Relevance

Raffensperger’s term expires January 2027 (term-limited). His significance: