Rick Jeffares, a Republican former state senator and unsuccessful candidate for Georgia lieutenant governor in 2018, has been nominated to fill the final open seat on the State Election Board.
Lt. Gov. Burt Jones announced Jeffares’ nomination Thursday to replace Matt Mashburn as the Republican-controlled state Senate’s representative on the board, which handles complaints of election problems. The full Senate must vote to confirm Jeffares’ to the five-person board.
“I just want to make sure elections are fairly held with no cheating and make sure everybody’s doing what they’re supposed to do,” Jeffares said. “I’ll try to be nonpartisan and try to make sure it’s the right thing to do.”
The State Election Board has repeatedly dismissed allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, including claims of illegal ballot collection, ineligible voters and dead voters. Three vote counts showed that Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican Donald Trump.
The selection of Jeffares comes after GOP activists packed the State Election Board in December to push for an investigation of Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s oversight of an audit of the presidential election.
The State Election Board voted down investigating Raffensperger but asked the Georgia General Assembly to clarify whether it has authority over the secretary of state’s office. House Speaker Jon Burns supported a proposal Wednesday to give the board independent supervision of election issues.
Mashburn, who voted against the investigation of Raffensperger, was told he would be replaced before last month’s board meeting.
Jeffares, who represented the McDonough area in the state Senate from 2011 to 2017, was the chairman of the Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee and a member of the Ethics Committee, which handles election legislation. His business manages city and county wastewater facilities.
Jeffares finished third in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor in 2018, behind Geoff Duncan and David Shafer. Jeffares then endorsed Shafer, who became chairman of the Georgia Republican Party after the election.
Jeffares would join another newcomer to the board, John Fervier, a vice president for Waffle House whom Gov. Brian Kemp appointed to serve as its chairman. The board will have four Republicans and one Democrat.
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