Georgia's GOP senators, headed for runoffs, call for Republican secretary of state's resignation

As Georgia's Republican senators, Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, prepare for their respective January runoffs, they're calling for their state's GOP secretary of state to resign.

In a joint statement shared by Loeffler on Monday, the lawmakers said Georgia's election management "has become an embarrassment," placing the blame on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, whom they accused of failing "to deliver honest and transparent elections."

The statement appears connected to a larger movement within the Republican Party, particularly among President Trump's more staunch allies, that is seeking to expose alleged widespread voter fraud and other illegal activities that have supposedly propelled President-elect Joe Biden's victory; Loeffler and Perdue seemingly believe the same alleged malfeasance forced them into runoffs. There has been no evidence to back up any of those claims, and critics pointed out that Loeffler and Perdue didn't provide specific examples of their complaints.

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In a far-from-timid response, Raffensperger quickly dismissed the idea that he would step down before championing Georgia's brief wait times at Election Day polls, as well as its record turnout. He later called the senators' charges of a lack of transparency "laughable" and cast doubt on the idea that illegal voting would have swayed the results. He capped off his statement by clarifying that he wants the GOP to keep the Senate, which requires at least one of the Georgia lawmakers to win in January. "I recommend that Senators Loeffler and Perdue start focusing on that," he said. Tim O'Donnell