A campaign event for Brad Raffensperger on Tuesday, Georgia’s Republican secretary of state who is running for governor, was disrupted by an “active threat,” his campaign said.
The episode occurred as Mr. Raffensperger was on a campaign swing across Georgia, starting with stops in Columbus and Macon.
In a news release, the sheriff’s office of Bibb County, which encompasses Macon, said a 911 dispatcher received a call at 8:21 a.m. on Tuesday. Deputies and a bomb unit swept Middle Georgia Regional Airport, and search dogs found a “suspicious object” inside a vending machine.
Chris Floore, a spokesman for the county, said the suspicious object was not a bomb.
“After the thorough sweep of the Airport, and further investigation, no hazardous devices were detected,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release. “There were no injuries reported at this location, and no staff or patrons were inside the airport when this object was found.”
The sheriff’s office said the airport has been re-opened.
The rally for Mr. Raffensperger was moved outside the airport.
“When you stand on principle, when you do the right thing, when you put people ahead of politics, not everyone will like it. In fact, some people may try to intimidate you or do you harm,” Mr. Raffensperger said in a statement.
“So yes, we are dealing with an active threat,” he said. “And no, I will not back down.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
