Brad Raffensperger targeted by threat as he runs for governor

Brad Raffensperger, Georgia Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate, was the subject of a credible written threat, as announced by his campaign on Tuesday.

According to campaign spokesperson Ryan Mahoney, the threat took the form of an apparent manifesto sent to a sheriff’s office in Mississippi. It included a photo of Raffensperger with the word “boom” written across his face.

The connection between this threat and the discovery of a suspicious object inside a vending machine at a campaign stop in Macon on Tuesday remains unclear. The discovery, made a day after the campaign was informed of the threat, led to the event being moved outdoors.

The manifesto has not been released, and its motive remains unknown. These incidents highlight the ongoing threat of political violence in the U.S., especially for prominent figures like Raffensperger, who faced significant backlash for opposing President Donald Trump’s attempts to challenge the 2020 election results in Georgia.

Raffensperger addressed the situation in a statement shared on social media, stating, “When you stand on principle, when you do the right thing, and when you put people ahead of politics, not everyone will like it. In fact, some people may try to intimidate or do you harm. So yes, we are dealing with an active threat. And no, I will not back down.”

The Atlanta Journal Constitution first brought attention to the written threat.

A law enforcement canine discovered the suspicious object at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport, where Raffensperger was scheduled to hold a campaign event later that day. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Department confirmed in a news release that no hazardous devices were found, but did not detail what was discovered.

The campaign proceeded with the event, choosing to hold it outside in the parking lot.

No arrests have been made to date.

The Georgia State Patrol is leading the investigation with support from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, Mahoney noted. Raffensperger plans to continue campaigning in the final week leading up to Georgia’s May 19 primary with increased security measures.

“The secretary of state’s office has a law enforcement unit, so we’ll start traveling with a handful of those guys until the threat is alleviated,” Mahoney said.