Cobb County Democrat Dr. Michael Owens enters race for Georgia Secretary of State

Dr. Michael Owens, a cybersecurity executive from Cobb County, has placed his name in the hat on Wednesday as he announced plans to seek the Democratic nomination for Georgia Secretary of State in 2022. As he announced, Owens vowed to make protecting voting rights a top priority after the Republican led State Legislature passed a controversial voting law earlier in the year that was immediately signed by Gov. Brian Kemp.

In his announcement statement, Owens said, “ I’ve dedicated my life to fighting for our freedom, to protecting individuals and businesses from cybersecurity attacks, and to advocating for the voices of the people. It’s time to put my unique set of skills and expertise into action to transform this office and create an innovative and secure Georgia Secretary of State’s office,” 

From 2016 to 2019, Owens served as Chair of the Cobb County Democratic Party. 

A native of North Carolina, he served eight years in the U.S. Marine Corps. Owens attended Georgia Tech and earned a bachelor’s degree in technology and a master’s in business. He has held leadership roles in Atlanta-based Equifax, Cisco Systems, and other technology companies. 

“I am a Democrat running to be Georgia’s Secretary of State because our democracy is under attack. We must act now to stop the chaos, corruption, and voter suppression that are undermining fair and free elections,”said Owens. 

The Biden administration is suing Georgia over its new voter law, which they say creates obstacles that target low-income minority voters.

Owens joins Democrats Bee Nguyen, a State Rep out of DeKalb County and Manswell Peterson, a former police officer and former college professor from Albany who had announced their plans to run earlier in the year to take on Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Incumbent  Raffensperger is being challenged by two candidates from the Republican party, U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Greensboro and Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle.

Both have criticized Raffensperger for refusing to back former President Donald Trump’s false allegations of voter fraud in Georgia’s presidential election.

Trump has endorsed Hice in next May’s GOP primary.