# Secretary of State — 2026 Candidates — The GA Files > Where the 2026 candidates for Georgia Secretary of State stand — bio, prior offices, top donors, positions on DEI, LGBTQ+, abortion, and data centers, plus any scandals. Sourced. *Source: https://thegafiles.com/candidates/secretary-of-state.html · The GA Files (thegafiles.com)* --- [← 2026 Candidates](https://thegafiles.com/candidates.html) # Secretary of State D ### Penny Brown Reynolds Democratic nominee A former Fulton County state-court judge and executive counsel to Gov. Roy Barnes who later served as a Biden-era USDA civil-rights official; she also hosted the TV show “Family Court with Judge Penny.” Barnes — Georgia's last Democratic governor — chairs her campaign. She won the June 2026 Democratic runoff. #### Previously held - Fulton County State Court judge - Executive counsel to Gov. Roy Barnes - USDA — Office of the Asst. Secretary for Civil Rights (2022) #### Top contributors Backed and chaired by former Gov. Roy Barnes — whose law firm is among her largest donors — atop a small-dollar base; itemized donors are filed with the Georgia Ethics Commission. - $18,400.00 — Simmons, Kenya (LITHONIA, GA) - $13,200.00 — Kahn, Robert (Atlanta, GA) - $13,200.00 — Virani, Alisha (Decatur, GA) - $13,200.00 — Sanders, Ronald (Decatur, GA) - $13,200.00 — Abebe, Eskender (Decatur, GA) - $13,200.00 — Kahn, Susan (Atlanta, GA) - $13,200.00 — Vizas, Katie (Atlanta, GA) **$740,450** raised · **$22,021** cash on hand — as of **Jun 12, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing). Source: [Georgia Recorder](https://georgiarecorder.com/briefs/former-judge-and-biden-official-announces-campaign-for-georgia-secretary-of-state/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Penny_Brown_Reynolds) · [Transparency USA (GA filings)](https://www.transparencyusa.org/ga) #### Where they stand Voter access & turnout Centers her campaign on access — pledging to remove “unnecessary barriers” so every eligible Georgian can vote, and to work with all 159 county election offices so they have the resources to run elections. Source: [Georgia Recorder — Dem SoS voter guide](https://georgiarecorder.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-runoff-secretary-of-state-democratic/) Mail-in & absentee voting Frames it through voter access and protection; she has not detailed a specific absentee-ballot plan. Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Penny_Brown_Reynolds) Voter ID Has not laid out a detailed voter-ID position. Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Penny_Brown_Reynolds) Voter rolls & purges Stresses protecting eligible voters from losing their registration; she has not detailed a specific list-maintenance plan. Source: [Georgia Recorder — Dem SoS voter guide](https://georgiarecorder.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-runoff-secretary-of-state-democratic/) Election security & equipment Promises “free, fair, and secure” elections and wants every county properly resourced; no specific stance on the state's voting machines vs. hand-marked paper. Source: [Georgia Recorder — Dem SoS voter guide](https://georgiarecorder.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-runoff-secretary-of-state-democratic/) Certifying elections A former judge running on restoring public trust in elections — positioned as a defender of accurate, certified results against fraud claims. Source: [Georgia Recorder](https://georgiarecorder.com/briefs/former-judge-and-biden-official-announces-campaign-for-georgia-secretary-of-state/) Voter data & privacy Highlights protecting seniors and other vulnerable Georgians from fraud and modernizing the office through technology and transparency. Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Penny_Brown_Reynolds) Business & licensing Takes the office's non-election duties seriously — pledging to support small businesses and entrepreneurs and to safeguard seniors from fraud (the secretary of state also runs business registration, securities, and charities). Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Penny_Brown_Reynolds) #### Scandals None documented. [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Penny_Brown_Reynolds) · [Georgia Recorder — voter guide](https://georgiarecorder.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-runoff-secretary-of-state-democratic/) R ### Tim Fleming Republican nominee A state representative (HD-114, Covington) who was Brian Kemp's deputy secretary of state and then his gubernatorial chief of staff. He won the June 2026 Republican runoff over Vernon Jones on a hardline election-integrity platform. #### Previously held - Georgia House, HD-114 (2023–present) - Chief of Staff to Gov. Brian Kemp - Deputy Secretary of State under Kemp #### Top contributors A Kemp-world Republican funded mostly by large individual max-out donors, plus credit-union money (Georgia CUPAC); itemized filings are with the Georgia Ethics Commission. - $13,750.62 — Andrews, James (Peachtree Corners, GA) - $13,200.00 — Live Oak Public Strategies LLC (Covington, GA) - $13,000.00 — Three Pines Leasing (Ocilla, GA) - $10,000.00 — MCFARLAND, REGGIE (Social Circle, GA) - $10,000.00 — Fowler III, Robert R (Covington, GA) - $9,800.00 — Hatchett for House (Dublin, GA) - $8,541.98 — Dixon, Clint (Buford, GA) **$630,417** raised · **$229,680** cash on hand — as of **Jun 15, 2026** (GA Ethics latest filing). Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tim_Fleming) · [Transparency USA (GA filings)](https://www.transparencyusa.org/ga) #### Where they stand Voter access & turnout Runs to tighten, not expand, access — he introduced legislation to dismantle Georgia's automatic voter-registration system, which signs up eligible voters at state agencies unless they opt out. Source: [Georgia Recorder](https://georgiarecorder.com/briefs/gop-state-lawmaker-says-he-is-readying-secretary-of-state-campaign/) · [Democracy Docket](https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/anti-voting-republican-tim-fleming-advances-georgia-secretary-of-state-race/) Mail-in & absentee voting Campaigns broadly on stricter voting rules; he has not detailed a specific absentee-voting plan. Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tim_Fleming) Voter ID A central plank — he vows to “champion voter ID” and tighten verification. Source: [Tim Fleming campaign](https://www.flemingforga.com/) Voter rolls & purges Pushes citizenship verification and aggressive list maintenance, vowing to “deport any illegals attempting to vote in Georgia.” Source: [Tim Fleming campaign](https://www.flemingforga.com/) · [Democracy Docket](https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/anti-voting-republican-tim-fleming-advances-georgia-secretary-of-state-race/) Election security & equipment Campaigns on “election transparency,” but has not detailed a specific position on the state's voting machines vs. hand-marked paper ballots. Source: [Tim Fleming campaign](https://www.flemingforga.com/) Certifying elections Has campaigned on claims of election fraud and a vow to “make it impossible for the Left to cheat” — even though Georgia's 2020 result was confirmed three times, including a full hand count. Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tim_Fleming) · [Democracy Docket](https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/anti-voting-republican-tim-fleming-advances-georgia-secretary-of-state-race/) Voter data & privacy No specific voter-data or privacy position stated. Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tim_Fleming) Business & licensing His campaign centers almost entirely on elections; he has not detailed plans for the office's business-registration and licensing duties. Source: [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tim_Fleming) #### Scandals None documented. [Campaign site](https://www.flemingforga.com/) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tim_Fleming) · [GA Files fact sheet](https://thegafiles.com/TimFleming.html) [⬇ Share image](https://thegafiles.com/share/candidates/secretary-of-state.png) [⬇ Download for offline](https://thegafiles.com/candidates/secretary-of-state.offline.html) Every entry is drawn from published reporting, official records, or the candidate's own statements, with sources on each item. Policy summaries are condensed from that reporting and reflect the candidate's stated positions; where a matter is an allegation or unresolved, that is noted, and inclusion is not a finding of guilt. Contributor figures are early/partial where the official itemized filings (Georgia Ethics Commission) are still being compiled. Corrections welcome via the contact link in the footer. Last updated 2026-06-17.