Many of Donald Trump’s most extreme and loyal followers are currently serving in state legislatures across the country. From participating in the January 6th insurrection to pushing for extreme abortion bans, these MAGA Republicans are hellbent on destroying democracy and pulling our country backward. Here are nine of the worst Republican extremists in battleground states, where Democrats have an opportunity to shift the balance of power this November.
Rep. Jon Stone is a disgraced former police officer running for reelection to the New Hampshire House. Stone was the subject of at least 14 internal affairs investigations, including for allegedly engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old girl. The fervent MAGA lackey was forced to end his law enforcement career after he violently threatened to shoot fellow officers and rape the police chief’s wife and children. Stone was then fired from a subsequent job as a prison guard for homophobic remarks, though he still sits on the New Hampshire House’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee. As a lawmaker, Stone pushes the most extreme aspects of the MAGA agenda, like LGBTQ+ discrimination, abortion bans, and classroom censorship.
- Made explicitly violent, racist, and homophobic posts on Facebook
- Opened a gun shop after losing his job as a police officer and gifted Trump an inscribed AR-15 assault rifle
Few legislators have done more to undermine democracy as Arizona Sen. Anthony Kern. Kern was photographed behind police barricades during the January 6th riot at the Capitol, but his involvement in the insurrection goes much deeper. He was indicted for participating in Trump’s false electors scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in Arizona and has been charged with nine criminal counts, including fraud, conspiracy, and forgery. Kern also introduced an outrageous bill to give himself and his fellow state legislators full power to override the popular vote in a presidential election and appoint presidential electors of their choice.
- Called Arizona’s 1864 abortion ban “the best abortion ban in the nation” while comparing those who voted against it to Nazis
- Supported a bill aimed at migrants that would have legalized the murder of anyone crossing private land
Rep. Tricia Cotham is a former Democrat who ran for the North Carolina House two years ago on a pro-choice platform, even co-sponsoring a bill to codify Roe v. Wade. But after winning her seat, Cotham switched parties, giving North Carolina Republicans the supermajority they needed to override Governor Cooper’s veto power. She then immediately cast the decisive vote to enact an unpopular 12-week abortion ban, the most restrictive attack on reproductive freedom in North Carolina in 50 years. Cotham blatantly betrayed the community that elected her to gain favor with MAGA extremists.
- Helped codify a ban on life-saving gender-affirming care for trans youth
- Facing Democratic opponent Nicole Sidman, a DLCC Spotlight candidate, in this November’s election
Arizona’s Senate Republican Leader Sonny Borrelli is at the forefront of his party’s attacks on women’s rights, the democratic process, and common decency. Borrelli made national news this year when he blocked legislation to protect access to birth control before chastising women, saying scientists “invented Aspirin. Put it between your knees.” After Biden won the 2020 presidential race, Borrelli said that the election was “probably” stolen, helping him earn an endorsement from Trump in his election for County Supervisor.
- Helped advance a bill, along with Sen. Kern, to effectively legalize the murder of migrants, or anyone else, crossing private land
- A member of online communities that support the “Three Percenter” far-right paramilitary movement
Sen. Doug Mastriano is another state lawmaker who was intimately involved in the January 6th insurrection. Mastriano, a member of the Pennsylvania Senate and former candidate for governor, was not only at the riot himself, but spent thousands of dollars organizing buses to travel to DC that day. Mastriano saw how MAGA extremists in Arizona tried to overturn the 2020 election results using falsified reports and pushed for a similar “fraudit” scheme in the Keystone State. The Senate Judiciary Committee eventually named him as having a “lead role” in attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. That same report also notes that he used his position of authority to push widely debunked conspiracy theories and pressured the acting Deputy Attorney General to throw out the votes of his own constituents.
- Supports a full ban on abortion
- Proposed cuts to public school funding that would have resulted in losing half of the state’s teachers and support staff
Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still has firmly planted himself in opposition to the democratic process. Still is the only sitting elected official indicted as part of the sprawling RICO case against Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia. In addition to allegedly aiding in the attempted overthrow of a presidential election, he voted in favor of House and Senate district maps that would have purposefully diluted the voting power of Black and minority voters.
- Supported legislation to allow LGBTQ+ discrimination, including denying queer couples the ability to adopt children and access childcare
- Facing Democratic opponent Ashwin Ramaswami, a DLCC Spotlight candidate, in this November’s election
New Hampshire House Rep. Jess Edwards found himself in the national spotlight when he opposed a bill outlawing marriage between adults and children. When confronted about his choice, Edwards defended child marriage by describing teen girls as “ripe” and “fertile.” He received a great deal of backlash for these comments but refused to apologize to his “haters.” In a twisted mockery of women’s rights, Edwards doubled down by describing child marriage as part of a “3-legged stool of freedom of bodily autonomy” and his own position as “pro-choice.”
- Opposed vital infrastructure projects like the creation of new passenger rail lines
- Sponsored legislation putting unnecessary restrictions on reproductive care facilities
Mark Finchem is a former member of the Arizona House currently running for the state Senate who has proven there is no low he won’t stoop to for Trump’s approval. Finchem was part of the January 6th insurrection and can be clearly seen in front of the Capitol building after rioters broke through police lines. The Trump campaign even paid Finchem $6,000 to overturn Biden’s victory in Arizona. The payment was classified as “legal consulting” even though Finchem lacks any legal credentials, and Finchem made no attempt to disclose the funds despite state transparency laws.
- Worked with far-right extremists to coordinate Stop the Steal rallies in Arizona and DC on January 6th
- Endorsed by Donald Trump
Michigan state Rep. Matt Maddock led efforts to overturn the 2020 election, organizing crowds to DC on January 6th and rallying a crowd that went on to lay siege to the Capitol. Maddock was a member of a far-right Facebook group that expressed hope for a civil war that would be a “big cleanup” of elected officials. He went viral earlier this year when he falsely claimed that buses at the airport were carrying “illegal invaders” into Michigan. The buses in question were actually carrying college basketball teams participating in the NCAA March Madness tournament.
- Introduced a bill to make handguns easier to buy and harder to trace
- At the forefront of efforts to persecute LGBTQ+ Michiganders, especially trans youth
Donald Trump has consistently made clear that he intends to leave the most important issues, like abortion access, up to MAGA extremists in the states. These Trump lackeys have already proved eager to undermine democracy for Trump’s benefit, and they are currently plotting how to implement the most extreme parts of Project 2025 in the states. The only way to stop them is by electing Democrats running in the most competitive races and kicking Republicans out of power. Support our efforts to defeat MAGA extremism in the states.
