Voter guide: Republican candidates for Georgia Secretary of State

by Maya Homan, Georgia Recorder, [This article first appeared in the Georgia Recorder, republished with permission]

May 5, 2026

The race to become Georgia’s next top election official is well underway, with nine candidates vying for the role of secretary of state.

On the Republican side, five candidates are competing in a race dominated by debunked concerns about widespread voter fraud during the 2020 election and a push to implement hand-marked paper ballots. The four Democratic contenders have focused on ensuring that elections are both transparent and accessible to voters.

The secretary of state, who serves for a four-year term, is responsible for overseeing elections across the state, granting business licenses for a variety of professions and regulating Georgia’s securities market. The role soared to new prominence after the 2020 presidential election, when Georgia’s current secretary of state, Republican Brad Raffensperger, resisted pressure from President Donald Trump to overturn Georgia’s election results in his favor. Raffensperger is currently running for governor, leaving the seat open.

Early voting for the state primary election is already underway. Election day is set for May 19, and the winners of the primaries will go on to face each other in the November general election.

Here’s a look at the candidates in the Republican primary race, listed in alphabetical order:

Tim Fleming

Note: Fleming did not complete the Georgia Recorder’s candidate survey.

Campaign website: www.flemingforga.com

A Covington Republican who was first elected to the state House in 2022, Fleming has maintained a focus on election policy during his time in the state Legislature. He was appointed to lead a “blue-ribbon” study committee tasked with evaluating Georgia’s election policies and providing recommendations for new election laws ahead of the 2026 legislative session.

Fleming previously worked as Gov. Brian Kemp’s chief of staff and served as deputy secretary of state under Kemp, who was Georgia’s top election official from 2010 until 2018.

Vernon Jones

Note: Jones did not complete the Georgia Recorder’s candidate survey.

Campaign website: vernonjonesforga.com

A former Democratic state representative turned Trump supporter who has cast doubts on the 2020 election results, Jones has been an outspoken supporter of hand-marked paper ballots during his campaign for secretary of state. He has also called for state officials or the courts to activate the emergency backup procedures and switch to a statewide hand-marked paper ballot system ahead of November’s general election.

Kelvin King

Age: 51

Occupation: Builder/general contractor

Education: U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO – 1996

Previous political experience/campaign: 2022 candidate, U.S. Senate

Campaign website: www.kelvinking.com

Why are you running, and why are you the right person for the role of secretary of state?

I’ve traveled all 159 counties in Georgia, and learned that Georgians want to make a good living for themselves, have some retirement funds when it’s time, and one thing is clear: people want to trust our elections.

This isn’t about re-litigating 2020 — it’s about fixing what was exposed. Georgians deserve a system that is transparent, accurate, and worthy of their confidence.

I’m Kelvin King — Air Force veteran, businessman and native Georgian. I’ve served my country in uniform and built a company focused on accountability and results. My perspective deepened when I began to watch the State Election Board meetings. This is where I and other Georgians saw firsthand the complexity — and dysfunction — of this office. 

Too many Georgians feel shut out: county officials under pressure, grassroots voices ignored and watchdog groups dismissed. That’s unacceptable.

I’m running because even a little fraud is too much. We need clean voter rolls, transparent elections and an efficient secretary of state’s office that serves both voters and businesses.

I’m not running to talk — I’m running to fix it.

Let’s get it right this time.

What are your top three priorities as secretary of state?

My top priorities are securing elections, improving business services and protecting Georgians from investment scams. 

First, I will secure our elections by pursuing a transparent system of hand-marked, human-readable paper ballots, accurate voter rolls, hand count certification starting at the precinct and full audit capabilities to restore public trust. 

Second, I will improve business services by streamlining licensing, cutting red tape, modernizing the secretary of state’s office and making it faster and easier to start and grow a business in Georgia. 

Third, I will protect Georgians — especially seniors — by strengthening oversight of securities, aggressively combating Ponzi schemes and investment fraud and ensuring strict enforcement of Georgia law to safeguard investors.

Do you believe the 2020 election in Georgia was stolen?

It certainly could have been. Our math teachers say, “show me your work” whenever an outcome was questionable. That’s what rational Georgians are asking of our secretary of state. In 2020, documented irregularities — including missing or unsigned tabulator tapes accounting for over 315,000 votes in Fulton County, unqualified voters on the rolls and inconsistent audit totals — raised serious concerns. When gaps of this magnitude exist, confidence suffers. As Daniel Webster said, government is “answerable to the people.” The people deserve answers.

Georgia lawmakers concluded the 2026 legislative session without funding the removal of ballot QR codes, or extending the deadline for them to be removed. What is the best path forward, and what action should lawmakers or other state leaders take to ensure that November’s general election runs smoothly? 

With QR codes removed from Georgia ballots effective July 1, the secretary of state must act immediately to ensure full compliance and restore public trust. The most direct path is transitioning to hand-marked paper ballots under existing law, using emergency procedures.

State Election Board and SOS staff should begin re-training county election officials now so they are prepared to administer elections under this system. 

This shift significantly reduces reliance on ballot-marking device machines — from roughly 30,000 machines to about 3,000 — lowering costs for equipment, maintenance and technical support while improving transparency and auditability.

Acting now ensures a secure, lawful 2026 general election and allows time for any legislative refinements to be made thoughtfully and correctly.

Georgia is likely going to start the process of procuring a new election system in 2027. What would you like to see in the state’s next election equipment?

As a former government procurement official, I would help guide Georgia’s future election system acquisition to ensure compliance with state law and restore public confidence. The foundation will be hand-marked paper ballots, reducing reliance on costly ballot-marking devices to only special accessibility needs. This simplifies the process and removes unnecessary points of failure.

The system will include machine tabulation for timely election night reporting, but with a key safeguard: precinct-level hand counts to verify results before certification. This limits technology to tabulation only with hand count verification, reducing errors and improving auditability.

A secure, transparent, fully auditable process with clear, verifiable steps is the only system I would support. Georgians deserve an election system they can see, verify and trust at every stage.

Ted Metz

Age: 68

Occupation: Retired chartered financial planner

Education: NATTC, 1979, avionics; DeKalb College, 1982, chemistry, business administration; University of Georgia, 1986, zoology/organic chemistry; Georgia State University, 1991, business administration/risk management and insurance

Previous political experience/campaign: Libertarian candidate for Georgia commissioner of insurance in 2014, governor in 2018 and secretary of state in 2022

Campaign website: tedmetz.com

Why are you running, and why are you the right person for the role of secretary of state?

I have been active in community service for my entire life. Since 2012 I have been active in engaging the Legislature, the office of the SOS and the courts. After years of research and study, I have filed six state and federal elections-related lawsuits. Through my career experience in recruiting, training and retaining personnel, plus 50 years of computers, 40 years of programming, 30 years of IT and database administration, plus 50 years of business ownership with professional licenses, over 30 years in the financial and securities sector, plus 20 years of nonprofit board positions plus years in the manufacturing sector all coupled with advanced troubleshooting, quality control, good manufacturing practice, PERT/CPM and years of business consulting and coaching, plus a deep understanding of O.C.G.A. Title 45 – Public Officers, Title 21 – Elections, the Georgia Constitution, the United States Code, CFR Title 28 and the U.S. Constitution, I am the only candidate that can walk into the office knowing what to do and where to start. And, I’m a U.S. Navy veteran and grandfather.

What are your top three priorities as secretary of state?

1. Create a secure server farm to get the Georgia voter registration database off the Salesforce Cloud and relocated in-house with restricted access for only lawfully authorized persons, scrubbed of any information collected and entered without the voter’s consent. 
2. Return the authority of election administration and voter registration to the counties where the Legislature placed it firmly within the Official Code of Georgia and then provide guidance and oversight to ensure the county boards of elections and registration, and their county attorneys, understand their lawful duties and are properly trained to carry out those duties.
3. Implement an immediate DOGE-style deep dive into all of the divisions and departments under the statutory oversight authority of the Secretary of State, meet with all levels of employees and contractors, boards, etc., to seek improvement solutions.

Do you believe the 2020 election in Georgia was stolen?

After examining documents, digital records, sworn affidavits, video evidence, ultra vires (outside of the law) changes to election standards in the name of COVID-19 (unsolicited mail-in ballots, drop boxes, etc.), consent agreements for by-passing signature matching on absentee ballots, wide swings in the voter rolls and other irregularities reported, the amount and intensity of counter narratives of “safest, most secure election,” the fight to keep records from courts and public inspection would lead any person with average cognitive abilities to the conclusion that 2020 had issues.

Georgia lawmakers concluded the 2026 legislative session without funding the removal of ballot QR codes, or extending the deadline for them to be removed. What is the best path forward, and what action should lawmakers or other state leaders take to ensure that November’s general election runs smoothly? 

The best solution is for the counties to follow the existing law in O.C.G.A. 21-2-300 through 21-2-440. The counties already have the authority to NOT use the electronic voting systems. As of April 22, 2026, the Georgia State Election Board is working on rules for the counties to use paper ballots instead of the current voting system. (Editor’s note: During a May 1 meeting, the Georgia State Election Board voted down a rulemaking petition that would switch Georgia’s elections to hand-marked paper ballots.)

Georgia is likely going to start the process of procuring a new election system in 2027. What would you like to see in the state’s next election equipment?

I insist on paper poll books, printed paper ballots, No. 2 pencils, curtained voting booths, locking metal ballot boxes, tables for volunteer ballot counters, paper tally sheets, scanners to scan in and scan out the ballots and tally sheets, web cams to stream the counting live on the web. No more electronic assistive devices. We must retake our human dominion over elections conducted in the public view to restore trust.

Gabriel “Gabe” Sterling

Age: 55

Occupation: Consultant

Education: University of Georgia, 1993

Previous political experience/campaign: Sandy Springs city councilman, 2011-2018

Campaign website: gabrielsterling.com

Why are you running, and why are you the right person for the role of secretary of state?

I helped write and pass S.B. 202, the Election Integrity Act. I am the only candidate who stood up to Stacey Abrams, Joe Biden’s Justice Department and the whole woke world when they said it disenfranchised voters, called it “Jim Crow 2.0” and took away our All Star Game. I was the one actually in court… winning. I am the only candidate with a record of defending our elections from irresponsible actors from the left and the right. We have built the best, most secure, most transparent voter focused election system in America, and I will fight every day to keep Georgia on top. 

I have a proven record of improving systems and helping people get to work faster. I plan to build on those successes, help bring good paying jobs and protect Georgia families from con artists and fraudsters… especially our seniors.

What are your top three priorities as secretary of state?

1. Prepare for the next voting system. We need to take the lessons of the current system and apply them to the next one and implement a voting system that all Georgians can use easily and have faith in. These decisions should be made with data, not rhetoric or political grandstanding. I will do what is best for all Georgians, not just those who scream the loudest.
2. Continue to reform and improve licensing in this state. Frankly, I think we should examine sunsetting some licenses. We need to make it as easy as possible for any Georgian that wants to start a business or get to work in a new career.
3. Update the aging corporations filing system. While the current system works, it is getting old and it needs to be replaced before it begins to fail our business community.”

Do you believe the 2020 election in Georgia was stolen?

No. Do I believe Fulton County was sloppy and irresponsible in the time of COVID, yes. All the actual evidence shows the outcome of the election in Georgia was the correct outcome that the voters voted for.

Georgia lawmakers concluded the 2026 legislative session without funding the removal of ballot QR codes, or extending the deadline for them to be removed. What is the best path forward, and what action should lawmakers or other state leaders take to ensure that November’s general election runs smoothly? 

The most elegant solution is to use the current system. Make the unofficial results with that. Then verify and make the official result the outcome of the optical character recognition review of ballots. The money is already appropriated and it meets the intent of SB 189 to not use the QR code for the official tally.

Georgia is likely going to start the process of procuring a new election system in 2027. What would you like to see in the state’s next election equipment?

I believe paper ballots produced from a ballot-marking device provide the best usability, transparency, auditability and security. Voters know how to use it. We use touchscreens every day in our lives.

I do think we can move past the use of QR or barcodes and technology continues to improve.

Of course, at the end of the day, this will be a policy decision of the Legislature. The secretary of state is an executive office that implements the law as written.

What I think we all want to see is a rigorous and thoughtful debate to settle the policy questions. From there we follow the Georgia Procurement Act to get the best system, at the best price for Georgia taxpayers.

Georgia Recorder is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Georgia Recorder maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jill Nolin for questions: info@georgiarecorder.com.