Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says a credible written threat targeted him, prompting heightened security ahead of the May 19 primary.
Brad Raffensperger’s campaign says the Georgia Secretary of State and gubernatorial candidate has been targeted by a credible written threat, underscoring how quickly election-year politics can collide with safety concerns.
Campaign spokesperson Ryan Mahoney said the threat arrived as an apparent manifesto sent to a sheriff’s office in Mississippi.. The material reportedly included a photo of Raffensperger with the word “boom” scrawled across his face.. Mahoney did not release the full text of the manifesto, and he said the motive was not publicly known.
The campaign is also trying to determine whether the letter is connected to other disruptions it faced earlier this week.. On Tuesday. a day after campaign staff were notified about the written threat. a suspicious object was found inside a vending machine at a campaign stop in Macon.. As a result, the campaign moved that event outside.
While the campaign has not said whether the two incidents are related. the sequence has drawn attention to the broader risk of political violence facing high-profile candidates.. Raffensperger has been a central figure in Georgia’s political aftermath of the 2020 election. when he drew fierce criticism for resisting President Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the outcome in the state.
In a statement posted to social media. Raffensperger acknowledged the seriousness of the warning and said he would continue campaigning despite the threat.. He said intimidation and harm are possibilities when public officials act on principle and put people ahead of party or politics. adding that his campaign would not back down.
Details of the Macon incident emerged through local law enforcement.. The suspicious object was detected by a law enforcement canine at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport. where Raffensperger was scheduled to hold a campaign event later in the day.. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Department said there were no hazardous devices detected. but it did not specify what was found.
Despite the alarm, the campaign proceeded with the scheduled event. Instead of holding the gathering at its original location, staff chose to move it outside—opting for a parking lot setting—an adjustment consistent with heightened concern for security while still maintaining the campaign schedule.
No arrests have been made in connection with either the written threat or the earlier vending machine disruption.
Mahoney said Georgia State Patrol is leading the response, with support from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.. He also said Raffensperger would keep campaigning over the final week before Georgia’s May 19 primary with increased protection.. The secretary of state’s office includes a law enforcement unit. Mahoney said. and the campaign plans to travel with additional security personnel until the threat is alleviated.
The written threat was first reported by the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Brad Raffensperger threat Georgia governor primary Georgia Secretary of State political violence FBI Georgia State Patrol campaign security