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The Soapbox

The Union’s bi-weekly newsletter for our 58,000+ volunteers

We have resolved to join forces to help preserve our Union, our Republic, and our democracy.

August 10, 2022
THE SOAPBOX seeks to keep you connected to what’s happening at The Union and share news about our ongoing work to oppose anti-democratic forces in American elections.
State of The Union: With fewer than 100 days to go, we are entering the home stretch for the critical 2022 midterm elections, and we need your help now more than ever. Here are highlights from this newsletter:
* FBI raids Trump home for pilfered documents
* Trump crazies get even crazier, it’s dangerously serious
* Key races identified – 14 across 5 states
* Jan. 6 hearings are opening voters’ eyes to the truth about Trump’s attempted coup
* Glimmers of hope in polling, but a very tough battle for democracy remains
* A look into what’s happening at The Union

Reed Galen, co-founder of The Lincoln Project, recently said ([link removed]) :

The ultra-MAGA have taken over the Republican Party and are committed to imposing an authoritarian government that will roll back individual rights, snuff out dissent and consolidate power in the hands of just a few.

These Trump extremists must be stopped.

FBI raids Trump’s Florida home: In a first in American history event, the FBI raided Donald Trump’s Florida home Monday with a court-ordered search warrant. Bizarrely, Trump compared Monday’s raid at Mar-a-Lago to the Watergate break-in.

The search seems tied to the former president’s pilfering more than 15 boxes of official documents, many highly classified, when he left the White House in 2021. An inventory of evidence the FBI seized was reported to be more than 100 pages. A conviction under the Presidential Records Act could bar Trump from ever again holding elected office.

Understanding the FBI's raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago ([link removed])

Legal investigations of Trump intensify: Here’s a look at the long litany of legal trouble Trump faces ([link removed]) .
Down to the wire: We’re paying particular attention to five states with opportunities to elect pro-democracy candidates. While there are many competitive races across the country, these 14 are significant in the fight to hold back ultra-MAGA Trumpers. Victors in each will have authority over how elections are conducted, and how votes are (or are not) counted.
Arizona Governor
Katie Hobbs ([link removed]) v. Kari Lake
As sec. of state, Hobbs fought back against election conspiracies. Extremist Lake wants to overturn the 2020 election.

Arizona Senate
Mark Kelly ([link removed]) v. Blake Masters
Senator Kelly fights for fair elections. Trump-crazy Masters claimed the Jan. 6 rioters were FBI agents

Arizona Secretary of State
Adrian Fontes ([link removed]) v. Mark Finchem
Fontes led accurate vote counting in Maricopa County. Finchem is an Oath Keeper who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 and helped lead Arizona’s fake-elector scheme.

Nevada Governor
Steve Sisolak ([link removed]) v. Joe Lombardo
Gov. Sisolak called for the prosecution of those behind the fake elector scheme. Clark County Sheriff Lombardo wants to repeal mail-in voting to restrict ballot access.

Nevada Senate
Catherine Cortez Masto ([link removed]) v. Adam Laxalt
Sen. Cortez Masto has steadfastly defended voting rights. Laxalt continues to push debunked “Big Lie” conspiracies and still claims the 2020 election was stolen.

Nevada Attorney General
Aaron Ford ([link removed]) v. Sigal Chattah
Ford, a Democrat, is running for reelection as AG with the endorsement of a group of moderate Nevada Republican elected officials. Chattah was called “unhinged” and a “charlatan” by Republican state senator Michael Roberson.

Nevada Secretary of State
Cisco Aguilar ([link removed]) v. Jim Marchant
Aguilar believes voting is a critical and fundamental right. Ultra-MAGA Marchant wants to dismantle Nevada’s voting procedures with the backing of pillow man Mike Lindell.

Wisconsin Governor
Tony Evers ([link removed]) v. Tim Michaels
Gov. Evers has vetoed more than a dozen anti-democracy bills passed by the Republican-controlled legislature. Trump-backed Michaels said he would abolish the Wisconsin Elections Commission and won’t rule out an attempt to decertify Biden’s 2020 win.

Wisconsin Senate
Mandela Barnes ([link removed]) v. Ron Johnson
Lt. Gov. Barnes holds a slight polling advantage against ultra-MAGA incumbent Johnson who backed fake electors on Jan. 6 and has advocated gutting Social Security and other critical programs.

Michigan Governor
Gretchen Whitmer ([link removed]) v. Tudor Dixon
Gov. Whitmer protected voters as MAGA-fueled election challenges persisted in the legislature. Dixon continues to falsely argue that Trump won. He lost by more than 150,000 votes in the Badger State.

Michigan Attorney General
Dana Nessel ([link removed]) v. Winner of 8/27 Republican nomination
Nessel is running for reelection and has battled Trump loyalists over voting machines and fraud claims. Nessel’s opponent will be selected in late August at the ultra-MAGA Republican state convention.

Michigan Secretary of State
Jocelyn Benson ([link removed]) v. Winner of 8/27 Republican nomination
Sec. of State Benson continues to battle threats Trump extremists make against her and other election workers. Benson told a U.S. Senate committee recently, “Not long ago my son, standing in our driveway, picked up a stick, turned to me and said, ‘Don't worry, mom. If the bad guys come again, I'll get them with this.’ He's six years old.” Benson will face a Trump bad guy selected at the late August Republican state convention

Pennsylvania Governor
Josh Shapiro ([link removed]) v. Doug Mastriano
Attorney General Shapiro has an early lead against Trump-crazy Mastriano who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Mastriano is a 2020 election denier and promoter of far-right Christian Nationalism. He is so extreme that a prominent group of Pa. Republicans recently endorsed Shapiro.

Pennsylvania Senate
John Fetterman ([link removed]) v. Mehmet Oz
Lt. Gov. Fetterman’s aggressive personal brand of politics propelled his campaign to an early but narrow lead against ultra-MAGA Oz. Trump crazies will no doubt line up behind the reality TV star as Election Day approaches.
The Pulse: The hearings examining Donald Trump’s violent mob-fueled attack on the U.S. Capitol captured the nation’s attention. New hearings next month will further galvanize the electorate to demand accountability.

With each revelation, voters are opening their eyes to the truth that Donald Trump and the ultra-MAGA crowd are a clear and present danger to America. Shocked and disgusted by what the hearings have revealed, many are turning away from Trump extremism. Several polls show modest progress, but we must keep pushing.

Democrats gain in tracking polls ([link removed])

Just the facts, I: The spreading of election lies continues to weaken confidence in voting integrity. This story shines a spotlight on the work of two election conspiracy promoters who are traveling the country challenging voting procedures in local election contests. Please be on the lookout for any similar activity near you and alert us here at The Union. Please reply to this email with any information you have.

Election Skepticism gets hyper-local ([link removed])

Just the facts, II: Not only has the lunatic fringe worked its way into promoting local election conspiracies, they have also infected mainstream political organizing.

Lunatic fringe becomes the establishment ([link removed])

Celebrate success: Retired journalist TC Brown, a volunteer with The Union, had a great editorial published in the Columbus Dispatch where he shares his story of outrage against the anti-democracy forces hellbent on destroying America. Well-done, TC!

Why I am pushing back ([link removed])

Share your story: We would love to hear about the success you are having as a volunteer. Tell us all about it here ([link removed]) .

We are a diverse set of volunteers with one goal, preserving our democracy: Have you wondered what you signed up for when you joined The Union? Participation gives us a chance to stand up and say NO to Donald Trump’s toxic brand and NO to those who enable and copy him. We are a diverse group. Teams are already organized and working on the following.
* Communications
* Social media
* Creative and graphics
* Multimedia
* Veteran outreach
* Research
* Cybersecurity
* Web development
* Spanish language outreach
* Faith group outreach
* Coalition partners
* State and regional organizing
* Campus outreach

We are building new teams with the specialized skill sets we’ll need in the coming weeks and months as we fight for victory this November and all the way through 2024.

We must keep up the fight and block Trump’s insidious ultra-MAGA cult from dismantling over two centuries of our hard-fought-for constitutional democracy.

Thank you for being part of this cause.

Follow us on Twitter ([link removed]) for current and breaking news as we battle Trump-backed anti-democracy forces.

Together,

The Union


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The Union is a single issue, pro-democracy coalition. While the Union is supported in its launch by The Lincoln Project and the reach of their 7 million followers, we are an independent, volunteer-driven, self-organizing force of people, partners, and actions aligned in defense of our democracy.

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