WASHINGTON – Last week, The Daily Beast and Raw Story reported on extensive Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee research that shows 15 current Republican state legislators traveled to DC to participate in “Stop the Steal” events and support Donald Trump’s lies about the 2020 elections. State legislatures play an important role in setting state election law, and these 15 insurrectionist state legislators and numerous other election deniers currently in office having influence on the most important level of the ballot is a risk to our entire democracy.
The DLCC is committed to electing Democrats to state legislatures who will preserve democracy and hold insurrectionists and election deniers accountable.
From The Daily Beast:
- “According to a new tally from the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee that was shared exclusively with The Daily Beast, there are still 15 state lawmakers serving in office or about to be sworn in who traveled to D.C. for Jan. 6 activities. Five of those 15 lawmakers even made it to Capitol grounds.”
- “In total, the DLCC identified 59 Republicans in Washington on the 6th who either ended up in state elected office or eventually launched a campaign for one.”
- “And while the DLCC was only able to identify 15 state lawmakers who played a role that day, DLCC President Heather Williams told The Daily Beast that it was ‘15 too many,’ vowing to ‘defeat all of them.’ ‘Democracy itself is on the line in the states in 2024,’ Williams said. ‘If we do not win state legislatures, Republicans have already shown they will try to overturn the election for Trump.’”
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“On the third anniversary of the January 6th insurrection, it’s important to remember that state legislatures are the front lines of defending our democracy. 15 state legislators identified by the DLCC who were in Washington on January 6th remain in office. This is 15 too many and the DLCC plans to support efforts to hold them accountable. Our efforts are already working: in 2023 alone, 3 MAGA insurrectionists were defeated, adding to the 15 we defeated in 2022. Democrats in state legislatures are actively working to strengthen our democracy – expanding voting rights, fighting gerrymandering, and combating Republican attacks on our elections. Democracy itself is on the line in the states in 2024. If we do not win state legislatures, Republicans have already shown they will try to overturn the election for Trump. It’s time for Democrats to invest in defending our democracy through the ballot box. 2024 is the year of the states and there has never been a more important time to invest in the DLCC and state legislative races.”
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) is the official Democratic Party committee dedicated to winning America’s state legislatures and building state infrastructure. Over the last decade, we have fought cycle-over-cycle to gain a dozen new legislative chamber majorities and we are leading the effort to bring national attention and investment to our ballot level. State legislatures are the building blocks of our democracy and have the closest connections to Americans’ day-to-day lives. From protecting fundamental freedoms and voting rights to growing the middle class, the DLCC and state legislators are moving the Democratic agenda forward and shaping the future of this country.
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