Dear MoveOn member,
As Trump continues to threaten fascist violence in response to a possible indictment (he just told a right-wing talk show host that there will be "... problems in this country, the likes of which perhaps we have never seen before" if he is charged with a crime).1
And as his white supremacist henchmen in the U.S. Congress do the same (Lindsey Graham: "literally, there will be riots").2
We have some heroes we want to tell you about whom we hope you will directly support and who are trying to preserve our democracy one state at a time.
These five candidates are quietly going about the business of stopping Trump's handpicked accomplices from taking over the highest election office of five states—secretary of state.
Before we tell you about these champions for democracy, understand whom they are trying to defeat. Who they must defeat. The people they are running against are literally Oath Keepers, insurrectionists, leaders of sham lawsuits, white supremacists, vote suppressors, and election deniers.
These five include anti-democratic, pro-fascist Republicans ready to overturn any election or suppress any vote if the result isn't what they want.
As you know, in many states, the secretary of state is the single most important position for ensuring election integrity and preventing Trump's next attempt at a coup. That's why in the five swing states of Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and Michigan (all states won by Biden in 2020), Trump and Steve Bannon are pulling out all the stops—from candidate recruitment to flooding the airwaves with dark money—to secure the top elections post in each.
And that's why MoveOn made the unprecedented decision this year to lean in heavily in these races. We know that if we are not diligent, these election deniers will attempt to disregard the will of the people and install Trump in the White House. These are the Democratic candidates we are supporting:
Democrat Adrian Fontes in Arizona, who is running against Republican Mark Finchem. Finchem participated in the insurrection on January 6 and is a member of the white supremacist Oath Keepers. He said the 2020 election was "rigged" and a "fraud."3
Democrat Cisco Aguilar in Nevada, who is running against Republican Jim Marchant. Marchant openly declares he would not have certified the election results for Joe Biden in 2020. He has said it is "very possible" that he will submit alternate electors in 2024, if he's elected.4
Democrat Jocelyn Benson in Michigan, who is running against Republican Kristina Karamo. Karamo still believes Trump is president, claims she saw fraud in Detroit, where none existed, and filed a sham lawsuit to get the Supreme Court to throw out the 2020 results.5
Democrat Jena Griswold in Colorado, who is running against Republican Pam Anderson. Anderson refuses to denounce Donald Trump's attacks on our democracy and has campaigned alongside Erik Aadland, a devout election denier running for Congress.6
Democrat Bee Nguyen in Georgia, who is running against Republican Brad Raffensperger. Raffensperger championed one of the most restrictive voting rights laws that the GOP pushed after losing the 2020 election, blocking drop boxes, restricting early voting, and denying water to voters waiting on line for hours in the heat.7
Thanks for all you do.
–Chris, Arvin, Chloe, David, and the rest of the team
1. "Trump warns of 'big problems' if indicted, says he'd still run for office," The Washington Post, September 15, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/168028?t=4&akid=332675%2E40999114%2EEuiPZ9
2. "Graham Predicts 'Riots in the Streets' if Trump Is Prosecuted," The New York Times, August 29, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/168029?t=6&akid=332675%2E40999114%2EEuiPZ9
3. "At least 11 Republican nominees for state elections chief have disputed the legitimacy of the 2020 election," CNN, August 19, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/166771?t=8&akid=332675%2E40999114%2EEuiPZ9
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. "Secretary of State Candidate Pam Anderson Won't Say If She Thinks Trump Should Run Again in 2024," Colorado Times Recorder, September 14, 2022
https://act.moveon.org/go/168027?t=10&akid=332675%2E40999114%2EEuiPZ9
7. "Everything You Need to Know About Georgia's New Anti-Voting Law," The Nation, April 1, 2021
https://act.moveon.org/go/166772?t=12&akid=332675%2E40999114%2EEuiPZ9
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Paid for with regulated funds by MoveOn.org Political Action, PO Box 96142, Washington, D.C., 20090.
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?
Click here to chip in $3, or whatever you can afford.
PAID FOR BY MOVEON
This email was sent to John xxxxxx on September 17, 2022. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. MoveOn's privacy policy was recently updated. To read our new privacy policy, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.