Hice, though, will likely be Raffensperger’s main foe thanks to Trump’s endorsement and prominent position, but his many ugly views could also prove to be a liability in a general election in what’s now become a swing state.
Hice, a pastor who worked as a conservative radio host before his 2014 election to Congress, made a name for himself with a 2012 book where he wrote, “Evidently there are many who believe a ‘Gestapo-like’ presence is needed by the government in order to corral and keep under control, all these ‘dangerous’ Christians.” Hice also used that tome to attack LGBTQ people and Muslims, as well as compare supporters of abortion rights to Hitler.
Hice has remained a far-right favorite in Congress, especially this year. Hice posted on Instagram hours before the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol: “This is our 1776 moment.” The message was quickly deleted after New York Times reporter Charles Bethea flagged it on Twitter in the midst of the assault on the building. Hice’s spokesperson said the next day, “The 1776 post was our way of highlighting the electoral objection—we removed the post when we realized it could be misconstrued as supporting those acting violently yesterday and storming the Capitol.”
That violence was hardly enough to stop Hice from spreading conspiracy theories. Last month, the congressman used his CPAC panel titled "Who's Really Running the Biden Administration" to declare: "I guarantee you, Georgia is not blue, and what happened this election was solely because of a horrible secretary of state and horrible decisions that he made."
On the Democratic side, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that one of the “leaning potential candidates” for secretary of state is state Rep. Bee Nguyen, who is the first Vietnamese American to serve in the chamber. Nguyen has been in the news in recent days as she’s spoken out against racism against Asian Americans following last week’s lethal attack on Atlanta-area spas.
Meanwhile, Republicans are already eyeing the race to succeed Hice in Georgia’s 10th Congressional District. This seat backed Donald Trump 60-39, and it will almost certainly remain safely red after the GOP devises new maps.
Two Republican members of the legislature, state Sen. Bill Cowsert and state Rep. Houston Gaines, expressed interest in recent days. The AJC also name-drops 2014 candidate Mike Collins, state Rep. Jodi Lott, and former State Party Chair John Padgett as possible candidates for Team Red.