WASHINGTON — Today, the DLCC is launching its Threats to Democracy website, a database that identifies at least 1,007 Republican state legislators and candidates who have threatened our democracy since the 2020 election — including people who attended the insurrection, attempted to overturn election results, spread Trump’s Big Lie about a stolen election, or are members of anti-government extremist groups like the Oath Keepers. The DLCC’s list of threats is the most comprehensive data set that exists for the state legislative level of the ballot.
“For every election denier running for federal or statewide office, there are a dozen more running for state legislature,” said DLCC President Jessica Post. “Make no mistake, state capitals are on the frontlines of the battle to protect fair and free elections this cycle. The GOP has moved the insurrection from the Capitol to statehouses across the country in an attempt to solidify their power and control the outcomes of future elections, posing an existential threat to our democracy. The surest way to protect democracy and beat back MAGA extremism in 2022 is to elect Democrats to legislatures all across the country.”
Among other findings, the DLCC’s Threats to Democracy list includes:
- 638 candidates who are on the ballot this November
- 43 current, former, or hopeful state legislators who were in DC on January 6th
- 51 state legislators seeking higher office this year
- 1 in 8 of all GOP candidates running for legislature this year, representing over 10% of all seats up this year
- Over 100 candidates running in competitive districts that will determine legislative majorities in the 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. 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].
###
