Editor’s Note: This article is part of a series on candidates for Congressional office
Republican U.S. Rep. Jody Hice is stepping down from his 10th Congressional District seat to run for Georgia Secretary of State because he wants to “renew integrity” in the state’s election system. Later this month, Hice is kicking off an Election Integrity Fly Around Tour to share his message with voters. The three-day tour takes off February 22.
U.S. Rep. Jody Hice
“It’s no secret that the 2020 election created serious doubt in the minds of many Georgia voters. As a campaign team, we want to hear your concerns about preserving free and fair elections in our state,” said Hice Wednesday when he announced the fly-around.
“Over the course of these three days, I will be visiting every region in Georgia to share our plans to secure our elections, aggressively pursue voter fraud, and restore confidence that each vote is counted and counted accurately,” Hice added.
Hice is endorsed by President Donald Trump, and is seen by many as the front-runner in the race. He says he is not new to fighting for free and fair elections. At the federal level, he serves on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. On this committee, Hice says he has fought the Democrats’ attempts to permanently take over the country by standing against H.R. 1, an attempt to nationalize elections.
“If signed into law, it could be the end of our democracy,” Hice says.
As Secretary of State, Hice says he will secure Georgia’s elections and “aggressively pursue voter fraud using the investigative arm of the SoS office.
“I will ensure that all allegations of voter fraud are pursued, investigated, and prosecuted when necessary,” he says. Hice also wants to minimize the opportunity for voter fraud by ensuring absentee ballot request forms can only be sent from the Secretary of State’s office.
He also is committed to enforcing the state’s new election law, Senate Bill 202, enforcing ID laws to request and return ballots, making sure absentee ballot drop boxes (now required by law) are monitored at all times when accessible during the election process, and ensure ballots “are counted in a time-efficient manner and the results by in-person, mail-in, and early voting are reported to the public on election night.”
Another commitment by Hice – replace the Dominion Voting Software. “Georgians deserve a voting system that they trust, period.” Hice says.
He also says he plans to streamline services provided by the Secretary of State’s office.
Hice was born in Atlanta and grew up in Tucker where he ran track and played football at Tucker High School. He graduated from Asbury College and earned his master’s degree from Southwestern Seminary and his doctorate in ministry from Luther Rice Seminary. For nearly 25 years, he served churches in Barrow, Gwinnett, Taylor, and Walton counties. He has also served as a professor at Luther Rice Seminary.
He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to serve Georgia’s 10th Congressional District in 2014.
Hice, along with fellow Congressmen Mark Meadows and Jim Jordan, was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus. The House Freedom Caucus (HFC) gives a voice to countless Americans who feel that Washington does not represent them. They support open, accountable and limited government, the Constitution and the rule of law, and policies that promote the liberty, safety, and prosperity of all Americans, according to his website.
