WASHINGTON — Today, the DLCC is launching its Threats to Democracy website, a database that features a list of Republican candidates and lawmakers who have spread dangerous election conspiracies, attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election, or have otherwise threatened our democracy. The DLCC identified at least 74 Republican candidates for Pennsylvania’s state legislature on the ballot in the November midterms who fit that criteria – the most of any state in the country. Nationally, the committee has found at least 1,007 Republican state legislators and candidates are complicit in the ongoing attacks on our democracy. Pennsylvania is a crucial state for the path to the presidency. Pennsylvanians can’t trust MAGA Republicans to protect their sacred right to vote.
“Make no mistake, state legislatures are on the front lines of the battle to protect fair and free elections,” said DLCC executive director Heather Williams. “Pennsylvania election deniers and MAGA candidates want to control their state legislature so they can override voters and decide the outcome of future elections. The surest way to protect democracy and beat back the MAGA movement in 2022 is to elect Democrats in Pennsylvania and to statehouses all across the country.”
Here are just a few examples from Pennsylvania:
- Many incumbents in the state legislature signed onto legal efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, siding with the state of Texas over Pennsylvania’s own voters. Many also supported a resolution proposed by insurrectionist Senator Doug Mastriano that would have challenged the election results and suggested the legislature could designate alternate electors.
- Tim Hennessey (HD-26) signed on to support Texas’ lawsuit against Pennsylvania and other states and joined a letter asking Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to reject the state’s electoral votes.
- William Torbeck (HD-112) has downplayed Donald Trump’s role in January 6th, spreading the false claim it was a “carefully staged production” and calling it a “Reichstag moment” for the left. He has also used his social media to share election conspiracy theories.
- Tracy Pennycuick (SD-24) signed on to support Texas’ lawsuit against Pennsylvania and other states.
The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee was the first and only entity committed to identifying, tracking, and condemning the hundreds of Republican state lawmakers who aided and abetted Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Its current Threats to Democracy website holds the most comprehensive account of state legislators and state legislative candidates complicit in the ongoing attack on our democracy. With more than 7,300 state legislative seats, the research for this project is ongoing, and the list continues to grow. The DLCC research team is actively soliciting tips for additional information at [email protected].
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