The FBI’s recent raid on a Georgia election office, and the subsequent direct communication between federal agents and former President Donald Trump, has intensified scrutiny over the state’s role in the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. The events signal a renewed focus by Trump on Georgia, a state where he continues to dispute the 2020 election results.
According to a report from the New York Times, the unusual interaction between the FBI and Trump occurred immediately after the raid in Fulton County. This direct engagement is described as unprecedented and underscores the personal obsession Trump holds regarding the 2020 election in Georgia. The focus on Georgia ahead of the 2026 midterms is raising concerns among election experts, who fear potential interference.
The situation is complicated by an upcoming gubernatorial race in Georgia, currently considered a toss-up. The top Republican contenders are Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Georgia Lt. Gov. Burt Jones. Trump has endorsed Jones, who served as a “fake elector” in 2020 and was previously investigated by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as part of her election interference investigation, alongside Trump and several others.
Jones’ campaign strategy centers on attacking Raffensperger over the 2020 election. Raffensperger has been a long-standing target of Trump’s criticism, particularly after a 2021 phone call in which Trump requested he “find” 11,780 votes to overturn the state’s 2020 election results. This ongoing feud forms a key part of the political landscape in Georgia.
The controversy surrounding Georgia’s voting system dates back nearly a decade, to 2017, when a lawsuit was filed over the state’s use of Dominion Voting Systems’ electronic ballot-marking devices. These devices, which print a paper QR code instead of a direct copy of a voter’s selections, were alleged to have security vulnerabilities. A 2024 trial demonstrated how the system’s code could be rewritten to manipulate election outcomes.
Further fueling concerns was a 2021 data breach in Coffee County, where pro-Trump activists gained unauthorized access to election system software. A lawyer for the Coalition for Good Governance claimed the compromised software wasn’t limited to Coffee County and could potentially affect all 159 counties in Georgia. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also advised in 2022 that Dominion’s software presented security vulnerabilities.
Despite these challenges, Raffensperger consistently affirmed the accuracy of Georgia’s 2020 election results, overseeing three separate recounts, including a statewide audit that manually re-tallied every vote. Governor Brian Kemp certified the results for Joe Biden, though Trump continues to dispute the outcome.
Trump’s strategy appears to involve leveraging concerns about Georgia’s voting system to cast doubt on future elections and potentially influence the outcome of the gubernatorial race. The FBI’s recent raid, and the seizure of over 700 boxes of voter records, provides ammunition for these efforts. Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts expressed uncertainty about the FBI’s intentions with the seized information.
Marilyn Marks, vice president and executive director of the Coalition for Good Governance, suggested Trump intends to use the situation to create a narrative of distrust in Georgia’s voting system, potentially paving the way for federal intervention. The state legislature recently approved a bill to replace the current QR code system with a readable text verification system, but failed to allocate funding for its implementation.
The situation also has implications for the U.S. Senate race in Georgia, where Democrat Jon Ossoff is seeking reelection. Ossoff’s 2021 runoff victory gave Democrats a narrow majority in the Senate, and Trump has blamed himself for the GOP defeat. Trump openly discussed the possibility of “nationalizing” elections during a podcast appearance, specifically mentioning Georgia and suggesting irregularities.
As noted by former special counsel Jack Smith, Georgia was “ground zero” for Trump’s alleged criminal misconduct in 2020. The current events suggest the state may once again be a focal point in the lead-up to the 2026 midterm elections, as Trump continues to pursue his grievances and seek to influence election outcomes.
