Trump-backed candidate's 'abysmal campaign' helped Brad Raffensperger score massive upset win

While it was widely expected that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp would beat Trump-backed primary challenger David Perdue, there was far less certainty about the fate of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was also targeted by Trump.

In the end, Raffensperger handily beat Trump-backed challenger Jody Hice, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Hice himself was partly to blame by running an "abysmal campaign."

"[Hice] mostly frequented small-scale GOP gatherings and far-right talk shows where he continually preached to the choir rather than expand his base," the paper reports. "And he hoarded his cash expecting a runoff, which was a very bad bet in the end."

Raffensperger, in contrast, employed a strategy that "involved a spate of visits to Rotary Clubs and local civic organizations that aren’t havens for the 'Stop the Steal' crowd."

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The paper notes that he also "didn’t shy away from countering far-right Trump supporters with the truth about elections" that the twice-impeached former president lost in 2020.

Additionally, Raffensperger benefitted from Democratic voters who crossed over to support him in Georgia's open primaries, as they feared having a secretary of state who would refuse to certify future election results.