Bomb threat reported before Brad Raffensperger campaign stop at Macon airport, officials say
A Macon campaign stop by Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger received a bomb threat on Tuesday, officials have confirmed.
The Secretary of State's Office confirmed that there was a bomb threat sent before Raffensperger's stop at Middle Georgia Regional Airport on Tuesday.
According to the Bibb County Sheriff's Office, the Macon-Bibb Emergency 911 Center received the threat at 8:21 a.m. on Tuesday.
Deputies evacuated the airport and performed a sweep, at which point officials say E.O.D. Bomb Unit canines "detected a suspicious object inside of a vending machine inside a secure area."
The Bomb Squad secured the object for examination and determined that there were no hazardous devices detected at the airport.
Middle Georgia Regional Airport has been reopened following the sweep.
Raffensperger has been on a "Standing for Georgia" tour of the state, which first stopped in Columbus. Macon was set to be the second stop on the tour.
"When you stand on principle, when you do the right thing, when you put people ahead of politics…some folks won't like it. In fact, some people will hate you and want to hurt you," Raffensperger said in a statement. "So yes, we are dealing with an active threat. And no, I refuse to back down."
In September 2025, the secretary of state announced he planned to run to become the Peach State's next governor.
Raffensberger, who became a national figure after he was asked by President Trump to "find" 11,779 in the 2020 election, is one name in a crowded field vying to replace Gov. Brian Kemp, who is leaving office due to term limits.
In a video announcing his candidacy, Raffensperger highlighted his work on Georgia's elections, touting a 2021 Heritage Foundation survey that found the state was first in "election integrity," as well as his Christian faith and business acumen.
"I'm a conservative Republican, and I'm prepared to make the tough decisions. I follow the law and the Constitution, and I'll always do the right thing for Georgia no matter what," Raffensperger said at the time.
The investigation is ongoing.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated when we receive information.