November 21, 2022
Contact: Cory Combs, Senior Communications Manager
ccombs@issueoneaction.org, p: 202-204-8553
Voters reject most dangerous election deniers running to administer U.S. elections, but challenges remain
Washington, DC – November 21, 2022 – During the 2022 midterm elections, voters across the country participated in our democratic process at near-record levels. Thanks to our dedicated frontline election officials and poll workers, the elections were free, safe, and secure. And across many of the most competitive and consequential races, voters rejected anti-democracy candidates running to administer our elections who spread election disinformation and seek to undermine the rule of law.
Last month, Issue One Action identified the nine most dangerous anti-democracy candidates who posed a threat to our elections. “Election Deniers Exposed” highlighted these bad actors — eight of whom were candidates to serve as secretary of state, and one was running for governor in Pennsylvania, where he could have appointed an election denier as secretary of state if he won.
Three of these candidates won non-competitive races for secretary of state in Alabama, Indiana, and Wyoming.. The remaining six candidates lost, including gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano of Pennsylvania and secretary of state candidates Mark Finchem of Arizona, Kristina Karamo of Michigan, Kim Crockett of Minnesota, Jim Marchant of Nevada, and Audrey Trujillo of New Mexico.
Each of these losing candidates had shown little regard for democratic norms, denied the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election, and peddled disinformation about our elections. Had they been elected, these individuals could have attempted to overturn the will of the voters following a future election.
“Democracy was on the ballot this year. And thanks to Republicans, Democrats, and independents across the country, democracy prevailed,” said Issue One Action CEO Nick Penniman. “Voters stood up against politicians who don’t believe in elections and repudiated the most extreme anti-democracy candidates who would have overturned the result of a legitimate election if their party lost. There is no room in our government for such dangerous bad actors. While many of us can breathe a sigh of relief given the results, serious challenges remain. We must continue to fight back against those who spread lies and wish to tear down the guardrails of U.S. democracy. We must continue to work together to strengthen and protect our system of self-government.”
With few exceptions, candidates who lost their races adhered to the time-honored tradition of our democracy by accepting the will of the voters and conceding. But in Arizona, where Democrat Katie Hobbs defeated Republican Kari Lake to become the state’s next governor, Lake has pushed baseless fraud claims despite there being no evidence to support her allegations.
While many of the most dangerous anti-democracy candidates running to administer elections were defeated, at least 220 election deniers did win, including more than 150 members of Congress.
Any elected official who continues to peddle lies and disinformation about our elections, or is willing to overturn the outcome of a legitimate election, remains a threat to U.S. democracy. It is vital that we take steps to protect our elections and the will of the voters, and that includes Congress passing a full and complete update to the Electoral Count Act (ECA) this year to insulate the country from a full-blown constitutional crisis following a future presidential election.
Congress must also allocate additional funds for state and local elections so that our frontline workers have the resources and support they need to continue administering safe, secure, and fair elections.
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About Issue One Action
Issue One Action is uniting Republicans, Democrats, and independents to protect our elections and fix our broken political system.