Former Georgia judge Penny Brown Reynolds enters race for secretary of state

Former state judge Penny Brown Reynolds announced Thursday that she is running to be Georgia’s secretary of state, a post that oversees elections, corporate filings and professional licenses, in a state that has been the focus of controversy and conspiracy theories surrounding elections. Reynolds, who briefly presided over family court disputes on a televised program, said in a social media video, “I will protect our democracy. I will defend every eligible Georgian’s right to vote. Whether you live in Atlanta or Albany, whether you’re 19 or 90, whether you vote blue, red or not at all.”

Reynolds has a varied résumé beyond her TV exposure: she was a lawyer for former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes, who has endorsed her candidacy. In 2022 she was appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture as deputy assistant secretary for civil rights, and she has served in other state and federal roles. She is also an ordained minister and describes herself as a “daughter of the South” deeply committed to the soul of Georgia. Her campaign website says, if elected, she would work to make voting easier by expanding access to early voting sites and ballot drop boxes, reduce barriers to forming small businesses, support farmers, protect seniors from fraud and improve cybersecurity. It also emphasizes protecting election workers who have faced threats.

The secretary of state’s office in Georgia oversees elections, corporate filings, professional licenses and other business activities. Reynolds enters a field that has grown more crowded as Republicans and Democrats alike debate how elections should be run in Georgia. Current Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, announced last week he is running for governor in 2026. One of Raffensperger’s former top officials, Republican Gabriel Sterling, is running to replace him. Both became well-known nationally for defending Georgia’s 2020 presidential results after former President Donald Trump pressed Raffensperger to “find” votes to overturn the state’s results for Joe Biden.

Reynolds’s campaign positions contrast with other contenders in the race. The field includes Kelvin King, a Republican who previously sought a U.S. Senate seat and aims to appeal to Trump supporters skeptical of election security; Tim Fleming, a Republican state lawmaker who heads a committee studying Georgia’s election system and has been a vocal advocate for hand-marked paper ballots; and Adrian Consonery Jr., a little-known Democrat. King’s wife, Janelle King, sits on the State Elections Board, which has seen rulings overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court in recent years. Fleming has argued for reforms aligned with supporters of paper ballots. The race notably has not seen a Democratic secretary of state in nearly two decades.

Analysts say the contest could serve as a barometer of Georgia voters’ views on election administration and the balance of oversight between state and local authorities. The outcome could influence how Georgia approaches voting access, election security and the protection of election workers in the years ahead.