Hello, everyone.

I'm Doug Reardon, political reporter at W ANF here in Atlanta.

Welcome to the Atlanta Press Club.

Loudermilk-Young Debate Series from the studios of Georgia Public Broadcasting.

The 2026 debate series was made possible by grants to the Atlanta Press Club from the Arthur M Blank Family Foundation and the Robert Charles Loudermilk Senior Foundation.

This is the debate for the Democratic candidates running for Georgia's secretary of state.

We have two journalists who will question the candidates today.

Welcome with us, Maya Prabhu with the editorial director of Peach Poll and Georgia political news platform, and Tyreke, Tyreke Wynn is a morning news anchor at 40:01 NBC in Macon.

We're going to kick things off today by asking each of the candidates to introduce themselves and tell viewers why they should be Georgia's next secretary of state.

Candidates will have 60s to introduce yourselves, and we will go in alphabetical order, starting with you, Commissioner Dana Barrett.

Thank you.

I am Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett, and I'm running to be Georgia's next secretary of state because too many Georgians are struggling right now.

People can't afford rent or child care or health care.

As a single mom and a breast cancer survivor, I know what it's like to have more bills coming in than money in the bank.

But we don't get to solve the affordability crisis in Georgia if we can't choose.

The leaders we believe are going to bring real solutions to the table.

And the only way we do that is with free, fair and secure elections.

But our elections are under attack right now.

Donald Trump and his Maga cronies know that if we vote, they lose.

So they're doing everything in their power to stop us from voting.

And when we vote in record numbers like we just did in the primary, they'll do everything in their power to stop our votes from counting.

That is why I was willing to go to jail to protect our elections in Fulton County.

And it's why I'm running to be Georgia's next secretary of state.

All right.

Thank you, Commissioner.

Judge Reynolds, next.

Thank you.

Good evening.

I am Penny Brown Reynolds.

I am so grateful and honored that you decided to give me more votes than any candidate in the Republican or Democratic primary.

That happened because you understand and believe that you don't want any more politicians.

You understand and believed that in on these times that we have.

You don't need an ordinary leader, that you need someone with integrity.

I am the daughter of a single woman, granddaughter of a farmer.

I've never forgotten where I've come from.

I am the product of the American dream.

I've been fighting all of my life, and I will continue to fight for you.

I'm a civil rights lawyer.

I ran a civil rights division for the president of the United States, and I served as the top lawyer for a governor.

I have state and federal experience, and it will be my honor to be your next Georgia Secretary of State.

All right.

Thank you.

Both candidates, we appreciate that.

For the full set of debate rules, please visit Atlanta Press club.org.

We're now going to move to the part of this debate where our panel will ask questions to an individual candidate.

And we're going to start with you, Maya, who will ask a question of Penny Brown Reynolds.

Judge Reynolds, you're widely known for your work as a judge, attorney, minister and television personality.

What part of your professional background best prepares you to manage Georgia's elections, corporations, division and licensing responsibilities?

Thank you for that question.

I have a wide career, a career that has uniquely prepared me.

Actually, I was born for this moment.

Being a lawyer is key.

Being the only one who swore to the Constitution is key.

As the chief elections officer, you also have to be the CEO of that office.

I ran a federal agency about the size, maybe a little larger than the size of the Secretary of State's office.

I was the lawyer for civil rights individuals because I'm a civil rights lawyer.

So what uniquely prepares me is everything I have done.

I'm a Juris Dr., A PhD.

I can run an agency, but I will protect the right to vote.

As a pastor.

Let's never forget that I have the courage that has given to me the opportunity.

So when you think about everything that you need to be a secretary of state and deal with the rights of individuals, I am that person.

I am for such a time as this.

All right.

Thank you.

Thank you Miss Reynolds.

And Tyreke, your next question goes to Commissioner Barrett.

Thank you Doug.

Commissioner Barrett you've said that you were willing to go to jail over Fulton County election board appointments.

Can you tell us or excuse me supporters call that courage.

Critics call that political theater.

So can you tell us why was that confrontation necessary for you?

Look, we have been facing a lot of attacks on our elections in Fulton County, in the state of Georgia, and really across the country.

In that particular instance, this was, I believe, the second occasion in which the local Republican Party tried to put election deniers on our board.

These are people whose sole goal is to undermine our elections, to not certify, to kick voters off the rolls unnecessarily, really, just to do everything in their power to make it harder for people in Fulton County to vote.

And that was disqualifying as far as I was concerned.

There was nothing political theater about it.

I will never give over our elections to people whose intention is to undermine them and to take away our rights and to take away our democracy.

So I stand by that and will stand by that.

All right Tyreke, we're going to stick with you this time.

Your question goes to Judge Reynolds.

Yes.

Judge Reynolds you've promoted expanding voting access while also emphasizing election integrity.

Can you tell us what specific safeguards would you support to reassure skeptical voters that expanded access does not compromise security?

Do you know, that's one of the most important questions that we need to answer today.

We think they're mutually exclusive.

The Republicans poisoned the well.

And one of the things that the Secretary of State has to do is to make people feel confident in their elections.

That's really tough to make certain that we are transparent and accountable.

So some of the things I plan on doing is making certain that the office is transparent, that we know that elections are done on the local level.

So we want to make certain that they're trained and consistent.

But I plan on doing a report card.

So you will always know what's going on in this office.

As a judge and a lawyer, I don't have to seek the advice of lawyers.

I am the lawyer who understands the law and what it will take to fight anybody.

I'll meet him at the courthouse.

Steps to defend, to defend your right to free access, and to make certain we do not have fraud.

I am ready to do that.

I am prepared to do it.

All right, Amaya, the last question of the round is for Commissioner Barrett.

Commissioner Barrett, you've been a forceful voting rights advocate.

Is there ever a point where advocacy conflicts with the Secretary of State's role as a neutral election administrator?

And where would you draw that line?

Look, I think when you're elected to do any job, you are elected by a certain percentage of the population.

But once you take the job, you're there to represent everybody.

I've said all along that I believe every eligible voter in Georgia who wants to vote should be able to cast a vote.

That means every Georgian, whether they want to vote the way I want to or not, that's up to them.

My goal and my job will always be to make sure they have that access, regardless of how they choose to vote.

You know, I think being an advocate for free, fair, secure elections, being an advocate for a democracy instead of an autocracy or dictatorship is never going to get in the way of good policy.

All right.

Thank you both for those answers.

And that concludes our first round.

We're going to switch it up now.

And each candidate will ask a question of their opponent.

You'll have 30s to ask that question 60s to respond.

And the person who asked the question will then get a 32nd rebuttal.

Dana Barrett please ask your first question of Penny Brown Reynolds.

Sure, judge.

In the months before you chose to leave your seat on the bench two plus years early, instead of working full time clearing cases as you were being paid to do by the taxpayers, you were flying back and forth to LA trying to become a reality TV star.

Why did you think that was the best use of taxpayer dollars?

One thing I can tell you is my opponent is so desperate to change the narrative that she wants to rewrite my story as a businesswoman, while the record shows and I'm about record and I'm about facts, I had the number one caseload and reduction of caseload.

I've never been appealed and reversed on any criminal matter, but the record really shows that she's running away from her record, and that record is that she appointed an election denier on January 24, 2024.

So what you tend to do, typical politician, is when you want to deflect and put something else, do something that's just made up, calling me a reality talk show when she was a podcaster.

We're not falling for it.

I have a Juris Dr., A PhD business owner, worked for the president of the United States, and I did all of that because my history of public service.

I am so honored to have it.

And guess what?

The voters believed in it as well.

No deflection here.

Thank you, Judge Reynolds.

Thank you.

And Commissioner Barrett, you have 30s to respond if you'd like.

Thank you so much.

Your decision to treat your judgeship like a part time job added to the backlog of court cases in Fulton County.

Your decision to leave the bench in the middle of your term robbed the voters of the chance to pick your successor, and handed that appointment to Trump.

Cabinet member Sonny Perdue.

With our elections under attack by Trump and his Maga cronies, Georgia cannot afford a part time secretary of state or one that thinks it's okay to leave their term early.

All right.

And Judge Reynolds will now have you ask a question of Commissioner Barrett.

Oh, I don't get a rebuttal.

Uh, the you asked the question.

Certainly.

I love facts because I'm a judge.

So on January 24, 2024, you voted Miss Barrett to appoint Julie Adams, a known election denier to the Fulton County Board of Elections.

Now, in 2026, you have said you're willing to go to jail to protect election integrity.

How do you reconcile those positions in terms of maintaining public trust?

And do you stand on that appointment today in light of the fact that 100, just about 100,000 voters in Fulton County for whom you represent, decided to reject you, as I. One Fulton County in the primary.

Thank you.

Um, not sure what the question was, but I will.

I'll repeat it again.

That's fine.

On January the 20 fourth 20:24, you voted to.

Appoint Julie Adams.

Do you understand the point that's being made enough to answer?

Absolutely do, because I don't mind helping.

Her out.

Understand?

We're just trying to stay on time, that's all.

All right, Commissioner Barrett.

When the nominees Jason Frazier and Julie Adams were put before the Fulton County Board of Commissioners in 2023, Julie Adams did not have a record of election denialism.

She was pretty much a blank slate Republican nominee.

And as the Board of Commissioners, we have a responsibility to appoint from a list of nominations given to us by the Republican Party of Fulton County.

At that point, there were no disqualifying criteria, uh, in, you know, in her record or on her resume.

And therefore, we appointed her as a body.

And Judge Reynolds, you do have 30s to respond, if you'd like.

Not about Julie Adams.

This is about consistency in judgment, saying one thing in two years later, now you're willing to fall and go and go to jail for someone.

The voters of Fulton County knew this by almost 100,000 votes.

They rejected the person that represents them in Fulton County, because you can't do one thing in 2024 and turn around in 2026.

When you're running for Georgia, Secretary of State and claim you would be willing to go to jail, it's about judgment.

All right.

Thank you.

Candidates, you are watching the Democratic runoff debate for Georgia Secretary of State.

We're now going to go back to the panel, who will ask questions to the candidates of their choice until we run out of time.

Tyreke Nguyen, let's start with you.

Thanks.

Uh, this is for both candidates.

Commissioner Barrett, we'll start with you.

Young voters are constantly told democracy is on the ballot, yet many feel financially locked out of the future.

So why should someone in Gen Z working two jobs care about voting when they feel that the government hasn't improved their lives?

Thank you for the question.

I think that speaks to exactly the way I started my conversation today.

We have clearly an affordability crisis.

You know, young people cannot buy homes in the way that we could.

When I was younger.

Um, to your point, people can't pay rent.

I mentioned health care.

I mentioned child care.

Um, we talk about a lot about the cost of things, but we don't talk about income.

Young people are not making a reasonable income anymore for what the cost of living is.

But the reason then to care about elections is because if we don't maintain free, fair, secure elections, they don't get to choose leaders that are going to bring ideas to the table that appeal to them, whether it's universal basic income or universal health care or whichever thing it is that really appeals to them.

They don't even get to choose that.

If we don't show up at the polls.

So it's really about empowering them and letting them understand that the vote empowers you to make better choices of leaders who are going to help you get where you need to go.

All right.

And Judge Reynolds, why should young people care about voting?

And I love this question yet again, spent my whole life both as a pastor and working with young people as a professor at Georgia State, because I have a PhD as well.

Let me say this young people, they get it.

They get when they're being taken advantage of, they get political politics, they get all of that.

What we need is someone who can we know this office is about business corporations and overseeing that.

I offer for young people right now, not just being a gatekeeper for business because I'm an entrepreneur, that shows she made reference to was an $8 million show, because I'm an entrepreneur, and I understand that this job calls for a CEO.

So we're not going to just start your business in the in the Secretary of State's office.

We're going to help you grow your business and maintain your business.

And I think young people are saying that we're tired of politics as usual.

And that's what I offer.

No ordinary leader.

Thank you.

Thank you, Judge Reynolds.

You're welcome.

Next question to you.

Um, my question is also for both candidates.

And we'll start with Judge Reynolds.

Georgia is entering another redistricting fight while the secretary of state does not draw district lines.

The office does administer election.

Under those maps.

What should the Secretary of State do to make sure voters understand district changes and do not face confusion at the polls?

This is the kind of question that we owe to you, because it's in real time as a civil rights lawyer working for the civil rights leaders, not reading them in the book, I worked for Andrew Young and for Joseph Lowery.

This is a civil rights moment, if there ever was one.

Everybody has the right to have their vote cast, not have twists and turns to maintain power.

Redistricting.

It's really very concerning to me.

What will I do, what I'm doing now and what I've done for the last 30 years.

I didn't just pop on the scene and suddenly I care about civil rights.

It's who I am.

It's in my DNA.

I will speak out as I always have, that every voters, particularly minority voters.

This redistricting is about trying to erase the votes of people.

And everyone should have the right.

You can't use gerrymandering to try to hold on to power.

So what am I going to do?

I'm going to speak out like I've always done.

All right thank you George Reynolds.

Tyreke next question to you.

Yes.

Oh oh I'm sorry I apologize sorry Commissioner Barrett.

Thank you very much.

So your question about uh this constant redistricting.

We're about to have another one that goes on from the state legislature and how the Secretary of State's office should inform voters is a really important question.

I think our current secretary of state has done a really poor job of outreach to the community.

Um, while the counties are predominantly responsible for commuting, sorry, communicating last minute changes to voters, the Secretary of State's office really can do a better job of direct outreach right now.

You know, they send out the precinct card and, you know, the mail is what it is.

You may or you may not get it in time.

So really, I think the Secretary of State's job, uh, state's job here is to do a much better job of using all of the tools available in this day and age to communicate with voters, whether it's social media, email, text messaging.

We just need to do everything in our power to make sure voters have this access, and that will be a top priority of mine in the office.

All right.

Thank you.

Candidates.

Now, Tyreke, next question to you.

Yes.

Judge Reynolds this is a follow up to your answer that you gave.

On my last question I asked you mentioned that you will help Georgians grow their business.

So can you tell us how specifically will you help Georgia entrepreneurs grow their business and what does that look like?

Thank you.

That's a great question.

To the core of one of my priorities, we talk about Georgia being the best place to do business.

I received the endorsement of the AfL-CIO, 60,000 workers throughout Georgia because they understand and businesses, they understand that Georgia could be a good place to work.

But we also have to be a good place to earn a living.

And so what I want to be able to do is have a division in that office that a part of the job is you go in and you get your business, but then we will go all around the state and we will help people with seminars and training, and we will help them to be able to get business plans.

And what we're going to do, because I have federal experience, there is opportunity for capital with coming together with federal and the Department of Community Affairs.

How do I know that?

Because I was the governor's lawyer.

I come in with unique skills that nobody has to have on day one, and that is the skill to know I had a successful business, so I know what it's going to take.

I'm ready on day one to help businesses and workers in Georgia.

All right, Commissioner.

Oh, that was specifically for.

Georgia, just for me.

Okay.

Fair enough.

Let's go back to you then.

Okay.

Mine is for both candidates.

And we'll start with Commissioner Barrett.

Um, county election offices are dealing with staffing shortages, threats, turnover and complex rule changes.

What would you do in your first year to support local election workers?

You know, it's a great question and a really big problem.

Whenever I'm out as a county commissioner in my own district, I stop into the polling locations to thank the poll workers.

Um, you have to be brave now to work in elections.

These used to be sleepy administrative jobs, and now they're dangerous jobs.

It's unfortunate that that's where we've landed as a country.

I will say that most of the election workers that I've met and talked to are, are happy to be out there doing the work.

Um, you know, I think we can do a better job supporting all 159 counties with the recruiting, with the training and with security to make sure everyone does feel safe doing these jobs.

That's something I will make a priority of in my office.

Um, Fulton County does a great job of it now, and I think we can sort of use their model and take that to some of the smaller counties, providing some additional resources.

All right.

Judge Reynolds, same question to you.

Thank you.

Every problem can be solved with a solution.

You ask in your first year.

What about I talk about my first 90 days.

It's one of my priorities.

The whole world does not revolve around Fulton County and Atlanta, Georgia.

I won 121 counties throughout this state because they know I care about rural Georgia and all of Georgia.

I'm concerned about the security of workers because I care about workers.

My mother was one of those workers, and so I have a special.

This is personal to me to make certain that they are safe.

But consistency is everything.

So I'm going to fight as much as I can to make certain that these counties have the resources they need to do what they need to do to protect workers.

I want to say to the workers, thank you so much.

We have a runoff election coming, and I thank you for your service, because my mother was one of those people.

And so you can rest and trust and know that I will do everything I can, not in one year, but in the first 90 days to talk with counties to see what I can do.

Thank you.

All right.

We have time for a couple more here.

Tariq, let's go back to you.

Perfect.

Commissioner Barrett, this is for you.

In middle Georgia, many voters feel that state politics revolves around metro Atlanta.

How would your administration specifically improve voter access and government responsiveness for rural and mid-sized communities like Macon, Warner Robins and surrounding areas?

Yeah, it's a great question.

And I think one that comes up regularly and I and I totally understand one of the advantages of being a county commissioner is that we meet with county commissioners from all 159 counties across the state multiple times a year.

And we talk about the issues that are plaguing counties of all sizes, from our largest counties, our urban counties to our rural counties and our smallest counties.

And they are different.

And so I think the Secretary of State's office can create rules and procedures and policies that help share ideas.

Across all 159 counties.

Macon itself had a great idea in terms of dealing with excessive voter challenges.

Their elections board is really innovating on that front.

Is that message getting to county boards, county election boards in other parts of the state?

These are things we can do to facilitate information sharing across all counties.

And then from there, we'll know how to better provide resources.

All right.

Well, we are really running low on time now, so we're going to go back to you.

You have one question to one candidate, and then we'll have time for a 32nd response from the other candidate.

Um so Commissioner Barrett, the Secretary of State, also oversees business filings and professional licensing.

What is one change you would make to improve that side of the office?

You know, I've traveled around the state as part of this campaign and and being a commissioner, but in particular, when I was up in North Georgia, I was talking to a contractor who talked about the fact that they have to pull information from the secretary of state website when they're on the job, but the site is not mobile friendly.

That's an easy fix that we can do right away to make the site more accessible for active business owners, professional licensees, so that when they're hard at work doing their jobs, they can work the way most people do now, which is on their phones.

All right, Judge Reynolds, very, very quickly, if you'd like to respond to that question.

Every commission chair in the metro area endorsed me.

Unprecedented because they know I have the know how to go in and triage this problem because we have a problem.

If you have nurses that are sitting there waiting to get a license, if you have contractors that are waiting, I had to turn around a struggling federal agency that had a backlog.

So to have the very commissioners and colleagues of my opponent know and endorsed me because they know when I come in on day one, I have the experience and the expertise to first triage this backlog.

Thank you.

We appreciate you both answering that question.

I think it's important people know exactly what the Secretary of State's office does.

Unfortunately, though, that's all the time that we have for questions.

So the candidates will now have 60s for a closing statement.

And Penny Brown Reynolds, let's start with you.

Thank you.

I've enjoyed this.

You know why I have?

Because I know it's about you.

Can you imagine winning 121 counties, over 400,000 votes, getting more votes than Democrats or Republicans and not being a politician.

You saw my heart expertise.

Experience.

Education still matters.

That's what my mom told me.

And on this particular day, she's watching from the balconies of heaven, the forest.

Marie Brown.

I want to call her name because she told me, if you work hard and no one will ever outwork me, if you leaned into your God because I am a pastor, if you kept your word and did what you said you would do, if you speak the same way in Buckhead or in Milledgeville, if you were just your authentic self, that you would be rewarded because regular people like you and I would see it.

I end with this.

I am so grateful.

When you come back out to the runoff, when you cast your vote for me, I will make you proud because I'm making my mom proud.

I'm making my family proud.

But more than that, I'm making you proud.

I have my education because of you.

Thank you.

Judge Reynolds and Commissioner Barrett, your closing statement.

Thank you.

Look, the job of Secretary of State is really about empowering Georgians to decide their own future, both by voting and by building businesses.

I've been fighting to protect our elections for years now as a Fulton County commissioner, a seat I won by beating a longtime Republican incumbent in a seat that was gerrymandered for him in the last four years, Maga extremists have come for our elections board three times.

Twice in 2023 and again in 2025, when they tried to put me in jail every time I fought back and won, that's the fight I'll take statewide as your next secretary of state, a job that I am uniquely qualified to do.

I know what small business owners need because I am one.

I know how to run a technology operation because I've done it, and I know how to stand up to bullies and fight for this democracy because I am doing it every single day.

I'm Dana Barrett, and I'd be honored to serve as your next Secretary of State.

All right.

Thank you to both of our candidates.

And, of course, both of our panelists, Maya and Tyreke.

Once again, I'm Doug Reardon.

Thank you for joining us for the Atlanta Press Club.

Loudermilk-Young Debate Series.