A Mandate for Democracy
States United Democracy Center
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A Mandate for Democracy
The midterm elections were a victory for the idea of American democracy. They also had concrete consequences. One of those consequences is that states likely to be critical in the 2024 presidential election will have statewide officials who can be counted on to respect the will of the voters.
That is in large part because Election Deniers suffered decisive defeats across the board in races for secretary of state, the office that in most states is?directly responsible?for keeping elections free and fair.
Election Deniers lost races for secretary of state in?Arizona,?Michigan, and?Nevada. An Election Denier gubernatorial candidate?lost in Pennsylvania, where the governor appoints the secretary of the commonwealth. Election Deniers?didn’t get past the primary?for secretary of state in Georgia.
In the words of?Jocelyn Benson, who defeated an Election Denier challenger and was re-elected as secretary of state in Michigan, it was a
“tremendous demonstration of the strength of the American people’s?belief in democracy.”
Benson?joined a bipartisan panel?of current, former, and incoming secretaries of state this week for a States United briefing on the midterms.
They discussed the clear message from Americans this year: They don’t like lies about our elections. And voters?won’t stand for candidates?who threaten to reject election outcomes they don’t like.
Cisco Aguilar, the incoming secretary of state of Nevada, said his race was no longer about Republican or Democratic priorities. It was about making sure that access to the ballot box in his state was fair, and that elections were secure.
Voters are “looking for somebody who’s going to be honest with them, who’s going to eliminate the chaos in our voting system and continue to fight to make sure it’s secure,” he said. “They want stability. They want a steady hand.”
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State of the States
In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp?testified before the special grand jury?investigating efforts by Trump allies to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election there. Kemp?resisted pressure?from then-President Trump to call a special session of the Georgia legislature to reconsider the results after Trump lost to President Biden by more than 11,000 votes. Michael Flynn, Trump’s former national security adviser, and Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, each were?granted temporary stays?this week after state courts ordered them to testify before the special grand jury. Mark Meadows, Trump’s former chief of staff, is?appealing a similar order. Sen. Lindsey Graham, who lost an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court to block a subpoena, is now scheduled to appear Nov. 22 after his testimony?was delayed. Fani Willis, the Atlanta-area district attorney leading the investigation, has said she hopes the special grand jury can?wrap up its work by year’s end.
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In the News
The Hill:?Why people worried about the fate of democracy see hope in the midterms. By Rebecca Beitsch
“Joanna Lydgate, president of?States United Democracy Center, a bipartisan election protection group, said election deniers won just a fraction of races for secretary of state, but election deniers in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — all key states won by President Biden in 2020 — rejected candidates with such views. … Lydgate?said the dynamic was most clear in secretary of state races. ‘Where the messaging was most focused on the fact that this is the person who’s going to control your vote, people voted really differently in those races. Voters pretty resoundingly rejected election deniers,’ she said.”
The Atlantic:?‘Stop the Steal’ Isn’t Conceding. By Elaine Godfrey
“Fans of democracy can take heart that only 14 out of 94 election deniers won in races for positions that oversee elections, including secretary of state, attorney general, and governor,?according to?States United Action, a nonpartisan nonprofit that advocates for election integrity. Of those 14, only five candidates were not incumbents. ‘The movement is still not gaining ground,’?Joanna Lydgate, the CEO of States United Action, told me.
Yahoo News:?Election denialism proves to be a losing strategy for Republicans in midterm elections. By Caitlin Dickson and Andrew Romano
“This year’s midterm results were unequivocal. According to an ongoing analysis by?States United Action, a nonpartisan election-integrity organization, “election denialism failed to gain new ground” in about 95% of the statewide races that have been called so far.”
Talking Points Memo:?New And Old Secretaries of State Declare Election Denialism A ‘Losing Strategy’—But It Might Not Be Dead Yet. By Kaila Philo
“A bipartisan group of election chiefs have signed their names to an increasingly popular takeaway from Tuesday’s midterms: election denialism — at least, as a political strategy — loses. That doesn’t mean it’ll go away.”
The New York Times:?Election Officials Say Efforts to Bolster the Voting System Worked. By Alexandra Berzon and Ken Bensinger
“For months, election officials have worried that activists convinced that the election system is corrupt and broken would cause significant problems in the midterms. But the scattered episodes during the vote did not disrupt the system.”
The Washington Post:?A decisive vote for democracy in Arizona. By Reis Thebault and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez
“In the waning weeks of Arizona’s midterm election campaign, from the red rocks in the state’s north to the desert border in its south, one word reverberated: democracy. Democrats warned that the stakes for the nation were life-or-death, that the country’s system of governance itself was on the ballot, while Republicans doubled-down on their attacks against the rule of law and democratic norms. In the end, after nearly a week of ballot counting, voters here returned a resounding verdict.”
The Arizona Republic:?Controversy in Cochise County: Officials still seek recount, can’t agree on how to pay legal bill. By Ryan Randazzo
“Some Cochise County officials continue?to press for a hand recount of ballots in the 2022 election, but their plan hit a snag at a public meeting Tuesday over how to pay for it. Recount proponents have pressed the issue even?after a judge shot down recount plans last week?and the?state's highest court declined to intervene.”
The Nevada Independent:?After defeating election denier, Aguilar outlines plans for secretary of state’s office. By Jacob Solis
“In the days after media outlets called the race for secretary of state in his favor, Democrat Cisco Aguilar has often attributed his win to a single issue: Small-”d” democracy was on the ballot?. ‘American democracy hinged on this outcome,’ Aguilar told supporters during a victory speech on Saturday. ‘ ... Nevada is going to determine who the president is in 2024, and my victory means that we will have elections we can trust.’”
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:?Split decision: Wisconsin's smooth election stirs hope for a smoother politics. Editorial
“Maybe Tony Evers is right. ‘Holy mackerel folks, how about that?’ Evers told supporters at Madison's Orpheum Theater shortly before 1 a.m. in the early morning hours after the election. ‘As it turns out, boring wins.’ And if that’s what you call an election that ran like clockwork – very few problems anywhere in the state despite very high turnout — we’ll take it.’
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Clip of the Week!
Adrian Fontes, elected last week as Arizona’s next secretary of state,?spoke to 12 News?about the message voters sent in the midterms. “They don’t want people who believe in lies to be running their elections,” he said.
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About the States United Democracy Center
The States United Democracy Center is a nonpartisan organization advancing free, fair, and secure elections. We focus on connecting state officials, law enforcement leaders, and pro-democracy partners across America with the tools and expertise they need to safeguard our democracy. We are more than a think tank—we are an action tank. And together, we are committed to making sure every vote is counted, every voice is heard, and every election is safe. To learn more, visit?www.statesuniteddemocracy.org.
About States United Action
States United Action is a nonpartisan section 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization with a mission to protect our elections and our democracy. States United Action advocates for policies that protect election integrity, hold democracy violators accountable, and prevent political violence that threatens to undermine the will of the American people, and amplifies the voices of state leaders and law enforcement leaders who share these values. To learn more, visit?www.statesuniteddemocracy.org/states-united-action.
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