Fulton board gets new chair as Georgia reviews its elections

ATLANTA (AP) — Commissioners in Fulton County picked a lobbyist for Stacey Abrams to lead their election board as a state panel reviews how elections are conducted in Georgia's most populous county.

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to appoint former Atlanta City Council president Cathy Woolard to chair the five-person county Board of Registration and Elections. Her nomination by Board of Commissioners Chair Robb Pitts succeeded despite condemnation of the choice by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's top elections official.

Raffensperger, a Republican facing a primary challenge next year, objected to what he called a “blatantly political appointment” because Woolard had registered earlier this year as a lobbyist for Fair Fight Action, a group started by Abrams, a Democrat who narrowly lost the race for governor to Republican Brian Kemp in 2018. While she hasn't said she's running, she's widely expected to challenge Kemp to a rematch next year.

“Fulton County needs to think again before appointing someone who is bought and paid for by Stacey Abrams to run elections in Fulton County,” Raffensperger said in a news release Tuesday. He said it would “do incredible damage to the already terrible reputation Fulton has for running elections.”

Raffensperger said in the release that he would seek the removal of the entire county board of elections by invoking a provision in Georgia's new election law if Woolard is in charge.

Pitts, who has often traded barbs with the secretary of state, said Woolard is a longtime public servant who's well qualified for the role. He accused Raffensperger of “playing political games.”

“I wish we had a Secretary of State who cared as much about Fulton County’s voters as he did about winning his upcoming...