Vernon Jones and Tim Fleming are heading to a runoff after neither claimed at least 50% of the vote in s Republican primary for secretary of state on Tuesday.
The Republican field included Jones, Fleming, Gabriel Sterling, Kelvin King and Ted Metz, while Democrats Cam Ashling, Dana Barrett, Adrian Consonery Jr. and Penny Brown Reynolds competed for their partys nomination for Georgias top election officer.
The race underscored how disputes stemming from the 2020 presidential election, including claims from President Donald Trump that the contest was stolen, continue to shape debates over voting laws and election security years later.
The winner of the runoff on June 16 will advance to the in November, where control of the office overseeing voter registration, election certification and ballot administration is expected to remain a closely watched issue in one of the nations most competitive battleground states.
Sterling, Georgias former chief operating officer in the secretary of states office, entered the race with statewide name recognition after publicly defending Georgias handling of the 2020 election.
Jones, a former Democratic state lawmaker turned Trump ally, campaigned as a staunch supporter of the president and emerged as a fierce critic of the states election system.
King is a general contractor who previously ran for U.S. and is married to State Election Board member and conservative commentator Janelle King.
Fleming previously worked in the secretary of states office when current Republican Gov. held the position. The former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party pitched himself as a conservative focused on tightening election procedures.
Metz, the s 2022 gubernatorial nominee, also joined the GOP primary field.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican who drew national attention after rejecting efforts to overturn the states 2020 presidential election results, is running for governor.
This is a developing story. Check back for the latest election results and updates.
