Lawmaker, ex-TV judge face off in Georgia secretary of state race

The 2020 election cast a national spotlight on voting in Georgia and on the state’s top elections officer, Brad Raffensperger.

Now, a onetime judge is vying with a state lawmaker to succeed Raffensperger, who has been secretary of state since 2019.

Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds and Republican Tim Fleming each won their party’s nomination in June runoffs.

Georgia remains a battleground in the fight over voting. That was underscored in January when the FBI seized Fulton County’s 2020 ballots as part of what the Trump administration described as a criminal probe. The Fulton investigation recently escalated after it was revealed the Trump administration demanded the county turn over personal information from 2020 election workers.

The secretary of state oversees elections in Georgia and certifies the state’s results. The office also oversees corporations and professional licensing.

Here’s a look at the two candidates headed toward a November general election.

Democrat: Penny Brown Reynolds

Credit: Courtesy of Reynolds Campaign

Credit: Courtesy of Reynolds Campaign

Reynolds, of Atlanta, is a former Fulton County State Court judge and onetime host of the reality TV show “Family Court with Judge Penny.”

She served in the Biden administration as a senior official in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

If elected, she says she aims to safeguard vulnerable communities from fraud, modernize professional licensing, protect voting rights and restore trust in elections.

Republican: Tim Fleming

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Fleming, a small-business owner from Covington, is the chair of a House committee tasked with proposing changes to election laws.

The state legislator formerly served as Gov. Brian Kemp’s chief of staff before running for the state House in 2022. He also served in senior positions in the secretary of state’s office when Kemp held that role.

Fleming pledges to deport illegal immigrants who attempt to vote in Georgia, expedite professional licensing and “make it impossible for the Left to cheat in our elections.”