Dear MoveOn member,
The New York Times and Politico are the latest media outlets to catch on to Donald Trump's plot to elect loyalists to oversee elections in battleground states.
On Sunday, The New York Times headline read, "Campaigning to Oversee Elections, While Denying the Last One."1
And this was from Politico last week: "Trump followers zero in on secretary of state campaigns."2
Trump's strategy for a slow-moving coup is gaining momentum. So far, 21 candidates who deny that Joe Biden won the 2020 election are running for secretary of state in 18 states.3 In most states, it's the secretary of state who oversees vote counting and certifies—or rejects—election results.
And the "MAGA-world's deep engagement" in these races has "transformed" them, such as in the battleground state of Arizona, where Trump's pick for secretary of state raised more campaign cash in 2021 than his two potential Democratic opponents combined.4
That's precisely why MoveOn is doing something we've never done in our 23-year history: We're launching a powerful, multimillion-dollar effort to defeat Trump-backed secretaries of state across the country and elect individuals who will count every vote and ensure fair elections.
But as a grassroots organization, our resources come from you, our members. So, John, we can do this only with your support. Will you chip in $5 a month to help defeat Trump-backed secretaries of state and elect individuals who will count every vote and stop a Trump coup?
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
At his first rally this year, Trump stated outright: "There's a famous statement: 'Sometimes the vote counter is more important than the candidate.'"5 And then he brought on stage his candidate for Arizona secretary of state, Mark Finchem.
Finchem told the audience: "Ladies and gentlemen, we know it, and they know it—Donald Trump won."6
Finchem is a GOP state lawmaker who continues to work to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Arizona, was at the January 6 insurrection, and is a member of the Oath Keepers, the white supremacist group whose leaders were just charged with "seditious conspiracy" related to the January 6 insurrection.7
In Georgia, Trump's pick for secretary of state is Jody Hice, a member of Congress who is challenging Brad Raffensperger, the Republican incumbent whom Trump famously asked to "find 11,780 votes" for him in 2020.8
Hice parrots Trump's lies about the election, tried to stop the certification of Biden's victory, and petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the election.9 As of the last public reporting, Hice had raised twice what Raffensperger had raised for the secretary of state campaign.10
John, we cannot let Mark Finchem, Jody Hice, and other Trump loyalists be in charge of elections in their states. We have to fight back. We did it in 2020, and we can do it again this year—if we come together to make it happen.
Will you chip in $5 a month to help stop Trump's plot to install his lackeys as elections officials and to safeguard our constitutional democracy?
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
Thanks for all you do.
–Chris, Kenia, Liia, Kelly, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "Campaigning to Oversee Elections, While Denying the Last One," The New York Times, January 20, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/160255?t=6&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
2. "Trump followers zero in on secretary of state campaigns," Politico, January 24, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/160256?t=8&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
3. "Campaigning to Oversee Elections, While Denying the Last One," The New York Times, January 20, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/160255?t=10&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
4. "Trump followers zero in on secretary of state campaigns," Politico, January 24, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/160256?t=12&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
5. "An Arizona Trump rally and voting rights march underscore the fight for democracy," CNN, January 17, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/160078?t=14&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
6. "Campaigning to Oversee Elections, While Denying the Last One," The New York Times, January 20, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/160255?t=16&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
7. "Trump Endorses Arizona SoS Candidate Mark Finchem, a Self-Proclaimed Member of Oath Keepers," Newsweek, September 13, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/160257?t=18&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
8. "Campaigning to Oversee Elections, While Denying the Last One," The New York Times, January 20, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/160255?t=20&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
9. "Jody Hice tried to overturn the 2020 election. Now he wants to be in charge of Georgia’s elections." Vox, March 22, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/160152?t=22&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
10. "Campaigning to Oversee Elections, While Denying the Last One," The New York Times, January 20, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/160255?t=24&akid=316062%2E40999114%2EgyX7-V
Want to support MoveOn's work? Donald Trump's preparations for being able to steal the presidency in 2024 are well underway and include working to replace top election officials in battleground states with his own loyalists. Which is why MoveOn is doing something we've never done in our 23-year history: We're launching a powerful, multimillion-dollar effort to defeat Trump-backed secretaries of state across the country and elect individuals who will count every vote and ensure fair elections.
Will you chip in to power our campaign to defeat Trump and protect our elections in 2022?
No, I'm sorry, I can't make a monthly donation.
PAID FOR BY MOVEON
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