May 4, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Democrat Bee Nguyen announces run for Georgia secretary of state

Jacob Knutson

Representative Bee Nguyen speaking during a rally Atlanta in March 2021. — Georgia state Rep. Bee Nguyen speaking during a rally in Atlanta in March. Photo: Nicole Craine/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Democratic state Rep. Bee Nguyen, the daughter of Vietnamese refugees, announced Tuesday she will run for Georgia secretary of state in 2022 to counter Republican efforts to restrict access to voting.

Why it matters: Nguyen may face embattled Republican incumbent Brad Raffensperger, who is being challenged by multiple fellow Republicans who believe he did not do enough to defend former President Trump during the 2020 election.

What she's saying: “Republicans have done everything in their power to silence the voices of voters who chose an America that works for all of us, and not just some of us,” she said in her announcement.

“But we will not allow anyone to stand in the way of our right to a free and fair democracy.”

The big picture: Trump has repeatedly criticized Raffensperger for refusing to overturn the state's 2020 election results and has endorsed one of the state secretary's primary challengers, Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.).

Nguyen told the New York Times this week that Raffensperger deserves credit for standing up to Trump and rejecting his false claims of voter fraud after the election.
However, she criticized Raffensperger for advocating for Georgia's new voting rights law and for continuing to support Trump.
Nguyen is the first state Democrat to announce for secretary of state and the fifth Democrat in Georgia's House to launch a bid for a statewide office in 2022, according to AP.

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Democrat Bee Nguyen announces run for Georgia secretary of state

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