Dana Barrett, a Fulton County commissioner elected in 2022, announced her run for Georgia secretary of state and will hold a campaign launch Thursday. Barrett, who said she ran to defend election integrity, was part of a board majority that refused to confirm two Republican election-board nominees; a judge later found the board in contempt and ordered a $10,000-per-day fine that is now stayed on appeal. The race opens as Republican Brad Raffensperger runs for governor and a crowded GOP field, including Gabriel Sterling, competes to replace him.
Dana Barrett Enters Georgia Secretary of State Race, Citing Defense Of Election Integrity
FILE - Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett speaks outside the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta on Aug. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Kate Brumback, File)
Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett announced she is running for Georgia secretary of state, planning a Thursday morning news conference to formally launch her campaign. Barrett, first elected to the Fulton County Board of Commissioners in 2022, made defending election integrity a central theme of her decision to run.
Board Conflict And Contempt Ruling
Barrett was a prominent voice in the board’s Democratic majority last year when commissioners refused to confirm two Republican nominees to Fulton’s election board, citing concerns about the nominees’ past conduct. A judge later found the Board of Commissioners in civil contempt and ordered a $10,000-per-day fine until the nominees were appointed; that order is currently paused while the board appeals.
Barrett told commissioners in August: “Elections are under attack in this country.” She said she ran for the commission largely to protect election integrity and argued that a court could not compel commissioners to vote a particular way.
Statewide Context And Competitive Field
The contest for secretary of state comes as incumbent Republican Brad Raffensperger is running for governor. Gabriel Sterling, a former top deputy to Raffensperger, has announced a bid to succeed him. Both men drew national attention in 2020 when they publicly defended Georgia’s presidential results after former President Donald Trump pressured state officials to “find” enough votes to overturn Joe Biden’s narrow victory.
The Republican field also includes state Rep. Tim Fleming, Vernon Jones and Kelvin King. Fleming heads a legislative study committee reviewing how Georgia runs elections. Jones, a one-time Democratic lawmaker who switched parties, has been a vocal Trump ally. Kelvin King is married to Janelle King, a member of the State Elections Board and part of a Trump-endorsed majority there.
Why This Race Matters
The secretary of state in Georgia oversees elections and voter registration, making this race especially consequential in the wake of the 2020 presidential contest and continuing partisan disputes over election administration. Barrett’s entry adds a Fulton County elected official — and the controversies tied to that county — to a high-profile statewide contest.
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