ATLANTA — Congressman Jody Hice announced Monday he will launch a primary challenge to Brad Raffensperger in the upcoming race for Secretary of State.

Hice was among the Republican lawmakers who objected to the electoral college vote after a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. A Trump loyalist, the congressman fervently pushed baseless allegations that the election results in Georgia were faulty and has consistently attacked Raffensperger’s handling of the election.

“Free and fair elections are the foundation of our country,” Hice said in a statement. “What Brad Raffensperger did was create cracks in the integrity of our elections, which I wholeheartedly believe individuals took advantage of in 2020.”

Hice said he is “encouraged” to see the General Assembly mount an effort to “address some of the glaring issues” with Georgia’s election system — GOP state lawmakers have pushed a flurry of restrictive voting bills in the wake of the 2020 election — although Raffensperger and state investigators have said continuously there were no signs of widespread fraud.

Hice’s announcement spotlights a divide in Georgia’s Republican party between those who have remained steadfast in their support of former president Donald Trump and those who have strayed away from his leadership. The next campaign cycle will likely be filled with a number of primary challengers to GOP incumbents.

Trump endorsed Hice Monday; the former president has pledged to throw his political weight behind unseating Raffensperger.

“Jody has been a steadfast fighter for conservative Georgia values and is a staunch ally of the American First agenda,” Trump said in a statement. 

Hice has represented the 10th Congressional House District since 2015. His announcement also paves the way for a hotly contested race for the seat.

Born in Atlanta and raised in Tucker, Hice served as a pastor in three counties for almost 25 years. He then launched his own conservative talk radio show.