WASHINGTON — After launching its Threats to Democracy website last week, the DLCC is adding the names of more than 50 additional Republican state legislators and candidates who pose an existential threat to our democracy, almost all of whom are on the ballot this fall. Thanks to tips received via the new website and social media as well ongoing accountability research at the DLCC, the latest addition of MAGA Republicans includes two more known insurrectionists — individuals who were present in DC on January 6th — bringing the total number of insurrectionist candidates on the November ballot up to 18. The update also adds dozens of names to the DLCC’s larger list of now 1,057 Republican state legislators and candidates who have been complicit in other ways in the ongoing attack on our democracy since the 2020 election.
“Today’s Republican Party poses an existential threat to American’s freedom to cast a ballot, and for every statewide candidate disputing or challenging our elections, it is important to remember there are a dozen more running for state legislature,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “The DLCC has identified hundreds of insurrectionists, conspiracy theorists, and election deniers who are running for state legislatures across the country in order to seize power in state legislatures and who will undoubtedly pose a threat to future elections. The over 1,000 anti-democratic Republicans the DLCC has identified are just a snapshot of the full threat Republicans pose to this country this fall and our work to hold them accountable continues.”
This latest update to the site includes:
- Two new insurrectionists, John Lyddy of Vermont and David Estenson of Wisconsin, who were both in DC on January 6th and joined the crowds surrounding the U.S. Capitol
- Candidates in Arizona like Liz Harris, who has falsely suggested there were hundreds of thousands of illegal votes in 2020, and Christian Lamar, who is running on a 2022 platform that includes “decertification and/or nullification” of the 2020 AZ electors
- Candidates in New Mexico like Elaine Allen and Patrick Sais who, as of last week, still maintain they believe Donald Trump’s baseless claims that he was the winner of the 2020 election
- Candidates like John Linnehan in Maine and Tamara Mitchell in Michigan who have used their platforms online to help spread conspiracy theories and misinformation about our elections
- 50+ additional candidates, many running in competitive races that could determine the majorities in their respective states
- With 14 additional names in Arizona, the DLCC is now tracking over 50% of the GOP’s midterm candidates in the state on the “Threats to Democracy” list.
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. Now, its current Threats to Democracy website is the most comprehensive account of state legislators and state legislative candidates who continue to normalize anti-democratic extremism and are complicit in the ongoing attack on our democracy. With more than 7,300 state legislative seats nationwide, 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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