Reynolds Wins Georgia Secretary of State Race

Democrat Penny Brown Reynolds defeated Republican state Rep. Tim Fleming to become Georgia’s next secretary of state, making her the first woman of color elected to the office and the state’s first Democratic secretary of state in nearly 20 years. A former Fulton County judge and Biden administration official, she will succeed Brad Raffensperger, who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Reynolds campaigned on protecting ballot access, including early and absentee voting, and opposed federal efforts to change voting rules. She will help oversee Georgia’s transition away from QR-code vote tabulation; lawmakers set a 2027 deadline for recommendations on a replacement system ahead of the 2028 election.