Gabriel Sterling
Sterling in 2022
Chief Operating Officer in the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State
Assumed office
2018
Member of the City Council of Sandy Springs, Georgia
In office
2011–2017
Personal details
BornNovember 14, 1970
Sandy Springs, Georgia
EducationUniversity of Georgia

Robert Gabriel Sterling (born November 14, 1970) is an American politician and elections official from the state of Georgia. He is the chief operating officer (COO) in the office of the Georgia Secretary of State. He previously served on the city council for Sandy Springs, Georgia. Sterling received widespread attention for his speech denouncing false claims of election fraud in the 2020 election, stating "someone is going to get shot" if the claims and related harassment continue; weeks later, Ashli Babbitt, a pro-Trump rioter, was shot by police during the January 6 attack.

Early life and career

Sterling graduated from Riverwood International Charter School in Sandy Springs,[1] and the University of Georgia.[2] He began working in Republican Party politics as a volunteer for Mack Mattingly in his unsuccessful 1986 reelection bid to the U.S. Senate.[3] He served as campaign manager for Charlie Norwood in his successful election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994.[1] In 1998, Sterling ran for the Georgia House of Representatives in District 43, facing Dorothy Felton in the Republican Party primary election.[3] Sterling lost the election.[4]

Sterling was elected to the Sandy Springs City Council, taking office in 2011. In 2017, he did not run for reelection, and instead ran for the chair's seat on the Fulton County Commission.[5][6] He finished in third place, behind Robb Pitts and Keisha Waites, both members of the Democratic Party.[7]

Georgia Secretary of State's office

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger appointed Sterling the COO of the Secretary of State's office after winning the 2018 election.[8] He became an independent contractor in November 2019, and worked to roll out the use of new voting machines purchased from Dominion Voting Systems for the 2020 Georgia state elections.[9] Sterling held a press conference in which he publicly rejected President Donald Trump's allegations of voter fraud after Joe Biden won Georgia in the 2020 United States presidential election, saying they were "all easily, provably false,"[10][11] and warned that statements by Trump and other leading Republicans would result in innocent people getting killed.[12]

Sterling testified in public hearings before the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack on June 21, 2022.[13][14] During the hearing, Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) played a recording of Sterling's remarks and asked him what had inspired them. Sterling replied that he had "lost it" after seeing a death threat against a Georgia elections worker written on Twitter by QAnon supporters spreading the same conspiracy theories about the 2020 election that Trump was espousing, and decided to speak out against such misinformation.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "Now famous for rebuking Trump, an election official is a familiar Sandy Springs figure". Reporter Newspapers. December 2, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  2. ↑ Gardner, Amy (December 1, 2020). "'Someone's going to get killed': GOP election official in Georgia blames President Trump for fostering violent threats". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Reid, S.A. (July 16, 1998). "Neophyte challenges Felton". The Atlanta Constitution. p. JH7. Retrieved January 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Eckstein, Sandra (July 22, 1998). "Kenn taking a solid lead for Fulton chairman". The Atlanta Constitution. p. D6. Retrieved January 7, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Sandy Springs councilmember announces run for Fulton chairman". Reporter Newspapers. April 6, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Reichel wins Sandy Springs City Council seat". Reporter Newspapers. November 8, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  7. ↑ Kass, Arielle (November 8, 2017). "Robb Pitts, Keisha Waites face off to lead Fulton County commission". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Former Sandy Springs councilmember to be new Georgia secretary of state's COO". Reporter Newspapers. December 28, 2018. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  9. ↑ Niesse, Marc (December 29, 2020). "Georgia elections manager left state job, got $200K per year contract". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  10. ↑ Parks, Miles (January 4, 2021). "Georgia Election Official: Don't Let Misinformation 'Suppress Your Own Vote'". NPR. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  11. ↑ LeBlanc, Paul (January 4, 2021). "Georgia election official shoots down Trump's election conspiracy theories". CNN. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  12. ↑ Fowler, Stephen (December 1, 2020). "'Someone's Going To Get Killed': Ga. Official Blasts GOP Silence On Election Threats". NPR. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  13. ↑ Cohen, Zachary; Murray, Sara; Grayer, Annie; Nobles, Ryan (June 17, 2022). "Georgia officials set to testify at Tuesday's hearing before January 6 committee". CNN. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  14. ↑ Dublin, Tara (June 21, 2022). "'A Perfect Call'? Brad Raffensperger and Gabriel Sterling Testify to Trump's Election Fraud Attempts in Georgia". The Hill. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  15. ↑ "January 6 Hearing: Gabriel Sterling describes reaction to seeing death threat directed toward Georgia election worker". Yahoo! News. June 21, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
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