RELEASE: Trump’s Most Extreme MAGA Republican Allies Are Serving in State Legislatures
WASHINGTON — Following Donald Trump’s landslide Super Tuesday victories that all but guarantee he’s the next GOP presidential nominee, along with Nikki Haley suspending her Presidential campaign, it’s important to remember that many of Trump’s most extreme and loyal followers are currently serving in state legislatures across the country. From participating in the January 6th insurrection to endorsing Trump’s 2024 bid for president, MAGA legislative Republicans are hellbent on destroying democracy and pulling our country backward – and unfortunately, they have the numbers to do just that.
At least 392 sitting state legislators from at least 12 states have endorsed Trump’s 2024 campaign for president so far, increasing the stakes for the 2024 state legislative elections. As we look to our top battleground states where the DLCC is heavily invested, defeating MAGA Republicans is a top priority. There are at least 50 state legislators from Michigan who have endorsed Trump, at least 23 from Arizona, and at least 12 from New Hampshire. Not only that – 15 state legislators who are currently in office were in D.C. on January 6th and hundreds more supported later efforts led by then-President Trump to challenge or overturn the 2020 election results.
These Trump loyalists and die-hards would be a rubber stamp on Trump’s dangerous agenda, and they must be defeated to ensure MAGA priorities aren’t enacted in the states. That’s why the DLCC is all hands on deck to protect our Democratic majorities, flip vulnerable Republican chambers, and make inroads in red territory where toxic GOP supermajorities are passing MAGA policies. With fundamental freedoms like abortion access, democracy, and LGBTQ+ rights on the line, we can’t let MAGA Republicans take our country backward.
Here are some of Trump’s most extreme MAGA Republicans, whose power and influence in the states must be countered by Democrats:
- Arizona Sen. Anthony Kern (LD-27) was at the insurrection on January 6th and dangerously pushed past the police barricades at the Capitol. As of October 2023, Kern was facing a campaign finance complaint alleging that he illegally used cash from a failed re-election bid to attend the insurrection. Kern recently announced a run for Congress and hosted the “QAnon Shaman” at the Arizona Capitol.
- Arizona Sen. Janae Shamp (LD-29) attended the insurrection and joined the large crowd gathered along the Lower West Terrace of the Capitol, near some violent clashes that turned deadly. Shamp continued to spread conspiracy theories on Gab, the alt-right social media network, following the insurrection.
- Georgia Rep. David Clark (HD-100) joined a legal brief in support of the State of Texas’ lawsuit challenging the 2020 election results. He also signed a Jan 5th open letter calling on Mike Pence to delay certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, and spread false information and #StopTheSteal conspiracy theories on social media.
- Michigan Rep. Matt Maddock (HD-51) was in Washington, D.C. on January 6th, and spoke at a pro-Trump rally the night before. He also signed a Jan. 5th open letter calling on Mike Pence to delay certifying the election. He was involved in the false elector plot in Michigan and joined members of the group attempting to access the state capitol. After his wife, Meshawn Maddock, was charged with felonies for being part of the false elector plot, Rep. Maddock was caught on tape predicting somebody would “shoot someone” or a “civil war or some sort of revolution” would happen if “the government continues to weaponize these departments against conservatives” while at a pool party in support of Michigan fake electors.
- Michigan Rep. Angela Rigas (HD-79) was outside the Capitol and teargassed on January 6th, and called it a “highlight of my life.” According to a video reposted by a Twitter user, Rigas brought a weapon – a collapsible baton – with her to D.C. She has also said she is proud to be called an insurrectionist and terrorist. Rigas also told reporters, “I absolutely do not believe me or any other individual” should apologize for assembling on January 6th.
- Minnesota Rep. Shane Mekeland (HD-27A) signed a letter asking the Attorney General of Texas to sue the State of Minnesota over false claims of illegal voting. Months after the election was over, he joined calls for a 50-state audit of the 2020 presidential election and possible decertification of the results. He also voted “No” on a resolution to condemn the January 6th insurrection and related violence.
- New Hampshire Rep. Jason Janvrin (Rockingham-40) spread conspiracy theories related to the 2020 election, claiming that dead people voted, and was in attendance at the November 2020 rally in Washington, D.C., protesting the election results.
- New Hampshire Rep. Jose Cambrils (Merrimack-4) signed a letter calling for the dissolution of the state government based on “fraud” in the 2020 election.
- North Carolina Rep. Donnie Loftis (HD-109) was in Washington, D.C., on January 6th, and said he was close enough to the Capitol to get hit multiple times with tear gas. He said he was at the entrance when the door was breached. Months after the election was over, Loftis joined calls for a 50-state audit of the 2020 presidential election and possible decertification of the results.
- Pennsylvania Sen. Doug Mastriano (SD-33) organized busloads of people to attend the demonstrations in Washington and was there himself, although he claims to have left once he saw people becoming violent. Mastriano was one of the loudest voices questioning the conduct of the election in Pennsylvania and organized a bizarre “hearing” with Rudy Giuliani in the weeks after the 2020 election. Mastriano signed a letter calling on Congress to reject Pennsylvania’s electoral votes and signed an open letter calling on Mike Pence to delay certifying the election. He also sponsored a resolution disputing the 2020 election results and giving the Pennsylvania General Assembly the power to designate alternate electors. Mastriano gained even more notoriety for his failed 2022 campaign for governor.
- Pennsylvania Rep. Dawn Keefer (HD-92) signed a December 2020 letter asking Congress to reject Pennsylvania’s electoral votes on January 6th. She also signed onto a legal motion to advance the State of Texas’s case against Pennsylvania to stop the certification of the 2020 election. Additionally, she signed a Jan 5th open letter calling on Mike Pence to delay certifying the election, and cosponsored a resolution disputing the 2020 election results and calling on the Governor to vacate the certification of presidential electors in a blatant attempt to overturn the presidential election. She also engaged with election conspiracy theories on social media and questioned the certification of the election.
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams issued the following statement:
“As Donald Trump solidifies his control of the Republican Party, we can’t lose sight of the hundreds of MAGA Trump loyalists serving in legislatures across the country who pose a direct threat to our communities and our democracy. These MAGA die-hards will stop at nothing to advance Trump’s dangerous agenda, even as he careens more and more towards becoming a hardline dictator.
“From pushing for a nationwide abortion ban to destroying the foundation of our democracy, a Trump presidency would be supported and enacted by his allies in state legislatures. The DLCC is sounding the alarm on the dangers of a united MAGA front at the national and state level, and we are laser-focused on defeating MAGA loyalists in state legislatures. The future of our country depends on electing state Democrats who are committed to protecting fundamental freedoms and putting a check on hard-right extremism.”
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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