Tonight’s victory for Democrat Maggie Goldman - supported by independent expenditures from the State + Local Election Alliance - illustrates increasing voter rejection of right-wing extremism in local government
FULTON COUNTY, GA — In a local race with national stakes, Democrat Maggie Goldman defeated Republican incumbent Bridget Thorne for Fulton County Commission, removing an election denier from a dangerous position of election influence in Georgia’s most populous county.
Goldman’s victory was supported through independent expenditures by the State + Local Election Alliance (SLEA), the only national organization focused on electing pro-democracy candidates to the state and local offices that decide how ballots are cast, counted, certified, and challenged. SLEA ran a mail, digital, phone, and text message outreach program to mobilize voters in support of Maggie Goldman.
In 2024, reporting from The Guardian exposed Bridget Thorne’s years-long role in running a Telegram channel that promoted conspiracy theories and disinformation about the 2020 election. Earlier this year, Thorne provided a key affidavit used to justify the Trump administration’s widely condemned raid on the Fulton County elections office in connection with long-debunked claims about the 2020 elections. After the raid, Thorne’s colleagues on the County Commission raised concerns that she could leak information about the county’s strategy to protect itself from political attacks.
“Tonight’s results in Fulton County show that voters are sick and tired of politicians who put right-wing extremism over the needs of their own communities,” said Kim Rogers, president of the State + Local Election Alliance. “As Trump and his MAGA allies make Georgia the epicenter of their election lies, county races are the first line of defense to protect the vote. These local races tell us where the country is headed — and Maggie Goldman’s win is a big deal.”
SLEA made Bridget Thorne a top target in this year’s election cycle, recognizing that protecting national elections starts with winning the local offices that help administer them. Fulton County commissioners vote on election funding and appointments to the county’s election board — decisions that carry consequences far beyond county lines. Goldman’s victory puts a pro-democracy voice in a seat Thorne could otherwise have held through 2028, when Georgia will be a key Senate and presidential battleground.
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