"They refused. However, there are no further details available about Brenton's personal life. Earlier this week, Rep. Jody Hice, a defender of Trumps effort to overturn the election, announced hes running with Trumps endorsement to unseat Raffensperger. [7] He resigned in November 2014 to run for the special election to represent the 50th district in the Georgia House, and was succeeded by Chris Coughlin. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Georgia elections official Gabriel Sterling testify during a hearing held by the select committee to investigate the Jan. 6 Capitol attack on Tuesday in Washington. Raffensperger did not waver from defending the 2020 election: He rolled out an oft-repeated explanation that Trump lost because Republican voters backed down-ballot Republicans but did not pull the lever for the then-president. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. During his Special Report interview, Perdue said it was very unprofessional that a statewide elected official would secretly tape that and leak Trumps call. [42] Sterling publicly called on Trump to condemn the acts and "Stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence. She was raised with her two sisters. 'It's in memory of my son Brenton J. Raffensperger, who . Raffensperger released a private phone . [48][49][50], After the taped call was published, Democratic congressional leaders, asked the FBI to investigate the call and probe whether Trump had "engaged in solicitation of, or conspiracy to commit, a number of election crimes. President Donald Trump refused to recognize defeat and falsely accused his competitor, Joe Biden, of extortion after Biden won the electoral contest and the region of Georgia. He went on to call it a criminal offense and a big risk. The mainstream media and Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, are utterly disgraceful, dishonest, and manipulative people. And while Raffenspergers win removes the threat of one of Trumps followers administering a battleground election in 2024, there are still several other states where that remains a possibility. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. He had a lot of personal problems and had to deal with Trump's lies at the same time. The proposal that he oversees 11,780 illegitimate votes from former President Trump wasn't wise. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images Rices departure brings relief to immigration advocates. But Nguyen viewed as a rising star among Georgia Democrats will be the heavy favorite to secure the nomination in June. Georgias Republican secretary of state traveled relentlessly and went on conservative media to meet his GOP critics and win them over. Brad Raffensperger Son: Who was Brenton Raffensperger? - ABTC Secretary Raffensperger never wavered after the 2020 elections and Georgia voters showed that standing for what is right still matters, Brendan Buck, an AKCF board member who was a top aide in former House Speaker Paul Ryans office, said in a statement. Raffensperger revealed earlier on Wednesday that his office has initiated an investigation into various organizations, including America Votes, Vote Forward, and the New Georgia Project. [25] Raffensperger pushed back on the proposal, saying: "By a wide margin, voters on both sides of the political spectrum agree that sending absentee applications to all active voters was the safest and best thing our office could do to protect our voters at the peak of COVID-19. Here's what happened before and after Trump called Brad Raffensperger [1][10][11] In the state House, Raffensperger sponsored legislation to bar county officials from personally profiting from tax liens. By Andrea Widburg. The secretary of state also had key help come in at the last moment from Americans Keeping Country First, a super PAC formed by allies of Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), another Trump foe. [32] Trump continued to promote false claims about the electoral process after certification; some Trump supporters harassed or threatened Raffensperger, his wife, and Raffensperger aide Sterling, the state voting system implementation manager, including death threats. Sterling said the objects captured on video were not suitcases or trunks, but standard ballot carriers that allow for seals to be added to prevent tampering. Editor at Ghanafuo.com David Kofi Tei, is a passionate Public Relations Lead/Journalist who mostly specializes in providing a high level of research, reporting, interviewing and broadcasting skills. [60], Raffensperger was reelected to a second term in 2022. This and other threatening messages first came to light after new reporting into the harassment many elections officials have lived with since Donald Trump lost Georgia in November. They will soon be going to jail," Wood wrote. I dont know that theres a single elected official who would put their neck out for Brad Raffensperger right now.. By [71], Raffensperger has four siblings. ", Arizona lawmaker Rusty Bowers details the pressure put on him by Trump and Giuliani, The Trump campaign tried to use fake electors, says Rep. Adam Schiff, After a recount, Cuellar edges Cisneros in a closely watched Texas Democratic primary. The law, in effect, hands control of the five-person board over to the state legislature: Two other members on the board are picked by the respective legislative chambers. 1, or the For the People Act, congressional Democrats sweeping piece of legislation that would drastically remake most aspects of federal elections,penning an op-ed in USA Today on Friday that says the bill makes reckless demands of Georgias elections system.. He also led with some important context about what preceded the Jan. 2 call. "[58][59], Raffensperger testified in public hearings before the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack on June 21, 2022. When asked why he didn't quit, Raffensperger said he . Brad Raffensperger, who refused to bow to pressure from Trump to overturn the 2020 election, faces Rep. Jody Hice., who voted to undo the will of his state's voters in that race. What I believed in my heart of hearts is that they were not seeing what I was seeing, Raffensperger said. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives, representing District 50.. Raffensperger rose to national prominence in the aftermath of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, in which . His recklessness is matched by his fecklessness as a congressman. In recent weeks, Raffensperger has released statements warning against efforts to register people who are ineligible to vote in the Senate runoffs or to encourage people to come to Georgia simply to vote. He gained notoriety as a result of the outcome of the official U.S. presidential race in 2020. [23], In 2020, the Georgia presidential primaries, originally set for March 24, were moved to May 19 (the date for non-presidential primaries in Georgia), due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He spent his childhood in Tolaha Bay of New Zealand befo Dave Ramsey daughter Denise Ramsey is 39 years old(1983). I used to say, 10 percent, huh? Bidding for First Republic lasts into the night: A guide to the latest banking Ted Cruz decries political smear job against Clarence Thomas for ethics Facebook agrees to pay $725M settlement: Whats the deadline to file a claim? Its not a grudge at all, Raffensperger countered, adding Its really about getting the facts out.. WATCH: Former Judge Michael Luttig says theres still clear, present danger during Jan. 6 hearing. Brian Kemp "every chance to get it right.". That had to do with total incompetence around what happened in November., Perdue, along with Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.), called for Raffenspergers resignation two days after President-elect Joe Biden was widely declared the winner of the presidential contest, accusing the secretary of state of failing to deliver honest and transparent elections.. He then began making baseless allegations of voter fraud. for himto declared the winner, one vote more than Biden received in the state. David Belle Isle, the former mayor of Alpharetta who Raffensperger handily defeated in a 2018 runoff for the nomination, also announced he was running again. In a Republican primary like the Ohio Senate primary, for example I suspect the challengers are going to be MAGA, or more MAGA, or mega MAGA. What I knew is we did not have any votes to find. Meadows himself visited a signature-auditing site in Georgia to meet with the chief investigator who was supervising the process there. Trump Supporters Sent Brad Raffensperger's Wife - HuffPost Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger beats Trump ally Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Brenton Jay Raffensperger death: What happened to Brad Raffensperger son? The comedian often celebrates Christmas and New Year's Eve with his household members. Shared with POLITICOs Political Mailer Project, We leaned in heavy into a contrast message. Reuters published a report on Friday detailing the threats individuals texted and emailed the Raffenspergers, as well as other elected officials and their families since the November contest some of which were shared with the FBI and Georgia Bureau of Investigation. I believe that people are good, and people are looking for good people that do the right thing. You dont know if these people are actually going to act on this stuff., We just never wanted to have our grandchildren over here, and all of a sudden, a situation arose, Tricia Raffensperger, whose home was reportedly visited by members of the paramilitary group Oath Keepers, said during the CNN interview. Despite the evidence to the contrary, Trump repeated claims of widespread voter fraud in Georgia during his public address on Jan. 6, putting Raffensperger and his family in even more danger. Trump refused to accept defeat, made false claims of fraud, and launched an unsuccessful protracted campaign to overturn the election results. The small, rural counties of Whitfield and Murray highlight Raffenspergers turnaround. Brad Raffensperger Son Death: How did Brenton Raffensperger die? Raphael Warnock. On January 2, 2021, Donald Trump allegedly made a recorded telephone decision to persuade Brad to shift the Georgia vote to support himself. We investigated. There were no votes to find. Not everyone in state political circles is convinced Raffenspergers political plight is so grim. His father rarely discussed his personal life in conversation. Also Read:Former White House Sec. "That was an accurate count that had been certified.". Georgia officials fact-check an infamous Trump phone call in real time Michael Reynolds/Getty Images There is no information online on Brad's child's memorial, funeral procedure, or appearance. Are Sofia Richie and Nicole Richie biological sisters? Jerry Springer cause of death: How did Jerry Springer die? But that feat is in large part because Raffensperger is admired by Democrats, who viewed him as a truth-telling, elections administration equivalent of Dr. Anthony Fauci after the November vote. [5] He served on the Post 2 seat of the Johns Creek City Council from 2012 to 2014. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. It would make sense as to why somebody would think that. Raffensperger, a Republican, spoke out on Friday about his familys experience dealing with months of threats, such as one that read, You and your family will be killed very slowly, after his wife, Tricia, separately went public with the terrorizing messages. The Memo: Republicans worry DeSantis has erred in Disney feud, McDaniel says party autopsy for 2022 shows independents didnt break for GOP, Ramaswamy says he wont let Trump dodge debates, Watch live: White House monkeypox response team holds briefing, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [4], Raffensperger is a lifelong Republican. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger demanded former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) apologize to his wife on Monday aftershe received death threats following the senators call for the secretarys resignation in November. Trump told Raffensperger that "they dropped a lot of votes in there late at night.". Brad Raffensperger, well-known as the GA Secretary of State who affirmed the GA vote for Biden, lost his son Brent in 2018.https://t.co/7qbaSpfxs7. Brad Raffensperger, well-known as the GA Secretary of State who affirmed the GA vote for Biden, lost his son Brent in 2018.https://t.co/7qbaSpfxs7 Dr. Susan Key (@susankey_key) January 10, 2022, Sadly, Brenton Raffensperger's sentence to put a coffin in his living room didn't prevent his death. Theyre employees. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger grabs champagne to toast with his wife Tricia after declaring victory May 24, 2022. Speaking of evidence or lack thereof, Mitchell is best known for her work trying to help Trump overturn the last presidential election, and was on the infamous phone call in which he demanded . Raffensperger was reelected in the 2022 Georgia Secretary of State election, after defeating Trump-backed Jody Hice in the Republican primary and Democratic challenger Bee Nguyen in the general election. Brad Raffensperger: 'I haven't talked to Trump. I don't expect that'll The previous Georgia House of Representatives has been eager to discredit the fabricated votes in the Georgia region ever since. How did Brad Raffensperger happen to come across evidence of voter fraud taking place at Stacey Abrams' New Georgia Project? [31] Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden became president-elect, defeating incumbent Donald Trump, and Democrats made gains in Georgia, with Biden winning the state, the first time since 1992 that a Democratic presidential nominee had won Georgia. [64], Raffensperger and his wife, Tricia, have three children and two grandchildren. And Georgia had already investigated those claims, found none, and certified its election results. Will voters now punish him? A political mailer features Brad Raffensperger, Republican incumbent for Georgia secretary of state. And as Raffensperger celebrates his victory, some of Raffenspergers allies are incredulously mocking Hices campaign, too. Trump claimed that roughly 5,000 dead people in Georgia voted. I think there was a very quiet majority, on the ground, of voters who understood what happened: that there was an individual who was upset with the election results and they were looking for a scapegoat.. Even before the election, some Republicans in the state marveled at Hices absence, noting a lack of advertising from the challenger. Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler issued a joint statement accusing Raffensperger of unspecified "failures" and calling for him to resign. When asked why he didnt quit, Raffensperger said he had to be faithful to the constitution.. When Raffensperger told Trump on the call that his investigators hadn't found proof supporting his claims, the former president said "they're either dishonest or incompetent. [22] The number of Latinos eligible to vote in Georgia has expanded and turnout percentage has increased since 2016, exceeding countrywide participation rates of that ethnicity said Jerry Gonzalez, GALEO's executive director. Trump suggested Raffensperger could be subject to criminal liability for his role in the matter. The legislator's misfortune caused his family to go through a trying time. Raffensperger is not just somebody running in a Republican primary, said Sarah Longwell, the founder of the Republican Accountability Project, an anti-Trump group working to promote non-MAGA Republicans. Who is Mark Meadows and why is he important to the Jan. 6 hearings? | Brynn Anderson/AP Photo. Raffensperger . And I dont believe that elected officials sign up for these death threats either. [15], In the Republican Party primary, Raffensperger faced former Alpharetta mayor David Belle Isle, state Representative Buzz Brockway, and state representative Josh McKoon. Following the revelation of Brenton's passing, a flood of condolences and recognitions for the deceased occurred. Now, allies of Raffensperger argue that he is well positioned to win reelection in November, when Democrats will be running hard for the office. Latinos are 5 percent of Georgia's electorate, with about 377,000 Latinos eligible to vote, and about 250,000 registered. "At the end of the day, President Trump came up short, but I had to be faithful to the Constitution. Denise Ramsey has been married to Bill Whittemore since 2011. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, have consistently bashed Raffensperger for asserting Georgia ran a fair election after President Joe Biden narrowly won the state in November. Alex Aiono has a family of five including three siblings Hallie, Sidney Lee Lewis, and Taylor. "But the ballots had all been accepted they had to be accepted, by state law, by 7 p.m.," he said. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives, representing District 50. [24][25] Later, Raffensperger further postponed the Georgia primaries to June 9 due to the coronavirus crisis. As part of this mission, on January 2, 2021, Trump had a recorded conversation with Brad in which he asked him to modify the Georgia vote count to support him. He defeated the Democratic Party nominee, Democratic state representative Bee Nguyen, in the November general election. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger has become a symbol for discontent within the GOP. Georgia Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, his wife, Tricia, and their family received threats of violence months after the election that former President Donald Trump falsely . Fuchs, the senior Raffensperger aide, pointed to a POLITICO story last year in which some Republicans in the state wrote him off prematurely, she added. He drew 52 percent of the vote to avoid a runoff. The races will determine which party has control of the Senate. [46][47] On the call, Trump pressured Raffensperger to change the election results for the state of Georgia to make him the winner; Trump told Raffensperger, "I just want to find 11,780 votes." The White House was persistent in trying to reach Raffensperger, with staffers including former chief of staff Mark Meadows calling and texting his office 18 times to try to set up a call with the president. [21], The Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO) and other civil rights groups sued Raffensberger's Office and the Gwinnett County elections board in federal court, arguing that the county's mailing of mail-in ballot applications printed only in English should also have been sent in the Spanish language to registered voters in Gwinnett County because of its large Spanish-speaking population. The answer in Georgia, so far, is that it will be exceedingly difficult if not flat-out impossible. Brad Raffensperger, running for reelection in 2022, will face Trump-endorsed Rep. Jody Hice in the Republican primary. Brian Kemp were both censured by the local county parties in the northwest corner of the state. Georgia GOP primary for secretary of state to test endurance of Trump's Family of Georgia's secretary of state was still getting death - CNN Just days before the crucial Georgia runoffs that will determine control of the US Senate, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger delivered a strong message to Donald Trump as the President . Tricia said she canceled visits with her grandchildren amid the threatening messages. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says 'misinformation and The group poured $1.4 million on advertising and mailers into Georgia to boost Raffensperger among a chunk of undecided primary voters, according to a memo from the group shared first with POLITICO. Perdue still owes my wife an apology for all the death threats she got after he asked for my resignation, he told Fox Newss Your World. And I have not heard one peep from that man since., If he wants to call me face to face, man to man, I will talk to him off the record, Raffensperger continued. So you say we got a chance, calling it a gallows-type humor paraphrase of Jim Carreys famous movie line. Trump has endorsed election conspiracy theorists in Arizona and Michigan, backing state Rep. Mark Finchem and Kristina Karamo, respectively. A mailer from the group obtained by POLITICO prominently featured Democrats, saying Raffensperger is fighting back against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams and their far-left agenda, a message repeated in TV ads. [33][34][35] State elections officials and other Republican leaders noted that there was no evidence of wrongdoing in connection with the election. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. [24][25] After David Ralston, the Republican speaker of the state House, said that expanded use of mail-in voting would "be extremely devastating to Republicans and conservatives in Georgia," Republicans on a Georgia state House committee advanced legislation to block election officials from sending mail-in ballot request forms to voters ahead of elections. POLITICOs Ximena Bustillo breaks down the century of discrimination that led to that decline. But he hasnt done that.. "The numbers are the numbers, the numbers don't lie.". Your IP: [53] In a letter to Congress on January 6, 2021, Raffensperger gave a point-by-point refutation of Trump's false election claims. Click to reveal "[33] Raffensperger added, "If I was Senator Perdue, I'd be irritated I was in a runoff. 69.163.163.196 Raffensperger also put his own money into the race, seeding his campaign with $800,000, according to state campaign finance records. According to a few online stories, Brenton Raffensperger was generally addicted to drugs and was sent out to recover better. Raffensperger is not without a fan base. Brenton Raffensperger, Brad Raffensperger's son, passed away at age 38 in 2018 due to a fentanyl shortage. ", Schiff asked whether there was any way that Raffensperger could have lawfully changed the result of the vote in Georgia by explaining it as a "recalculation. Even before the runoff, she was a clear fundraising leader and had already secured major endorsements from both national and state-based organizations like EMILYs List, End Citizens United and Fair Fight, which was founded by Abrams. [30], The November 2020 general election in Georgia went smoothly, avoiding the problems that had plagued the primary election in June; Raffensperger credited the successful process to the record numbers of voters who cast ballots before Election Day, either by mail or during Georgia's three-week period of in-person early voting.