Penny Brown Reynolds Wins Georgia Secretary of State Race
Penny Brown Reynolds, a Democrat and former judge, won Georgia’s secretary of state race on November 3, defeating Republican state lawmaker Tim Fleming. She will replace Brad Raffensperger, who is leaving the office after an unsuccessful run for governor earlier this year.
Reynolds will be the first woman and the first woman of color to serve as Georgia’s secretary of state. She previously served as a Fulton County superior court judge and a state judge, and worked in President Joe Biden’s administration as a deputy assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Fleming has represented a Covington-area district in the Georgia House since 2023. His previous roles include Newton County commissioner, the secretary of state’s deputy during Brian Kemp’s tenure and chief of staff for Kemp. During the campaign, Fleming had cited alleged irregularities in Georgia’s 2020 election.
The secretary of state oversees elections as well as company records, occupational permits and other commercial matters. Raffensperger drew national attention in 2021 when he rejected President Donald Trump’s efforts to obtain enough votes to win Georgia in the 2020 presidential election.
Georgia Voters Choose Reynolds Over 2020 Election Doubter
Georgia voters chose Penny Brown Reynolds to oversee the state’s elections, rejecting Republican Tim Fleming, who had cited alleged irregularities in the 2020 election. Reynolds’ victory puts a former judge and Biden administration civil rights official in charge of the office.
Reynolds will be the first woman and first woman of color to hold the secretary of state post. She previously served as a Fulton County superior court judge and a state judge, then worked as a deputy assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Joe Biden.
Fleming, a state lawmaker since 2023, previously served as the state’s deputy secretary during Brian Kemp’s tenure and as Kemp’s chief of staff. The race placed the state’s election administration in the hands of voters choosing between Reynolds and a candidate who had raised claims about the 2020 vote.
The secretary of state oversees elections, company records, occupational permits and other commercial matters. Reynolds will succeed Brad Raffensperger, whose rejection of Donald Trump’s effort to secure enough Georgia votes for victory in 2020 brought the office national attention. Her win keeps the focus on the importance of election administration and the people entrusted with it.
Georgia’s Election Office Goes to Biden Administration Veteran
Georgia’s secretary of state office will pass to Penny Brown Reynolds, a former Biden administration official, after she defeated Republican state lawmaker Tim Fleming. The office oversees elections, but also company records, occupational permits and other commercial matters—responsibilities that make the choice consequential beyond the campaign.
Reynolds served as a deputy assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Joe Biden. She is also a former Fulton County superior court judge and state judge, and will become the first woman and first woman of color to hold the Georgia post.
Fleming has represented a Covington-area House district since 2023. His experience includes service as Newton County commissioner, the state’s deputy secretary during Brian Kemp’s tenure and Kemp’s chief of staff. He had cited alleged irregularities in Georgia’s 2020 election, a concern voters weighed in choosing the official who will oversee future elections.
Reynolds will replace Brad Raffensperger, who mounted an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign earlier this year. Raffensperger became nationally known in 2021 after refusing Donald Trump’s effort to obtain enough votes to win Georgia. The office now passes to a Democrat with federal administration experience, while remaining responsible for the state’s election system and a broad range of other duties.
Reported by Atlanta News First, FOX 5 Atlanta, The 19th.
