October 24, 2022
Contact: Cory Combs, Senior Communications Manager
ccombs@issueoneaction.org, p: 202-204-8553
New report identifies the 9 most dangerous anti-democracy candidates running to administer elections
Washington, DC – October 24, 2022 – “Election Deniers Exposed,” a new report from Issue One Action, highlights the nine most dangerous of these anti-democracy candidates running to administer U.S. elections — eight of whom are candidates to serve as secretary of state (including in the pivotal battleground states of Arizona, Michigan, and Nevada) and one of whom is running for governor in Pennsylvania, where he could appoint an election denier as secretary of state if he wins.
“The prevalence of candidates who want to hijack election administration positions for their own partisan gain is a five-alarm fire for our country,” said Issue One Action CEO Nick Penniman. “Democrats, Republicans, and independents need to defend free and fair elections and push back against extremist, anti-democracy candidates who would overturn the will of the people.”
Added former Republican Secretary of State of Kentucky Trey Grayson, who is part of Issue One’s bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity: “Free and fair elections are the bedrock of American democracy. Election officials are required to fairly administer elections even when their preferred candidates lose. In the United States, voters determine the outcome of elections, and election officials are tasked with counting every vote, regardless of whether they were cast by Republicans, Democrats, or independents.”
Continued former Denver Director of Elections Amber McReynolds, an independent who is part of Issue One’s bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity as well as Issue One’s bipartisan Faces of Democracy initiative: “To do their job, election officials need to be committed to the principles of honesty and integrity. Election officials must not undermine the bipartisan apparatus that helps make our elections work. Election officials must be impartial referees and respect the will of the people, no matter the outcome of the election.”
Nearly half of the 27 contests for secretary of state this year feature candidates who have little regard for democratic norms, deny the legitimate results of the 2020 presidential election, and peddle disinformation about our elections. Election deniers are also running for other positions up and down the ballot, and FiveThirtyEight estimates that 60% of Americans will see at least one election denier on their ballot.
In 2020, election officials from both parties carried out a successful, smooth, and safe election amid the coronavirus pandemic. But now, propelled by the false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, the country is facing an influx of hyperpartisan, anti-democracy candidates running for important election administration positions who may not follow the rules or uphold the will of the people in future elections.
Among them, as “Election Deniers Exposed” notes, are:
Jim Marchant of Nevada, a former state assemblyman running for secretary of state, has expressed openness to sending an alternative slate of electors to Congress that would not support the winner of the popular vote in Nevada in 2024. He has baselessly claimed that Nevadans’ votes haven’t counted “for decades” because a "deep state cabal" has been rigging elections.
Mark Finchem of Arizona, a state legislator running for secretary of state who has called for the election results in several Arizona counties to be “decertified” — an act that isn’t legally possible. Finchem has links to the Oath Keepers right-wing militia, and he was part of the crowd outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when rioters stormed the building in an attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
Doug Mastriano of Pennsylvania, a state senator running for governor who wants to decertify voting machines in Pennsylvania and require all Pennsylvania voters to re-register to vote — something experts say is unconstitutional. Like Finchem, Mastriano was part of the crowd outside the Capitol on Jan. 6. If elected, Mastriano could appoint a secretary of state who also holds dangerous, anti-democracy views.
In 2020, numerous Republican officials across the country worked with Democrats and independents to defend the integrity of the election and stand up to pressure from then-President Donald Trump, who sought to overturn the election and remain in power. Without the actions of these upstanding officials, our democratic system may have failed.
Read “Election Deniers Exposed” to learn more about the nine most alarming anti-democracy candidates on the ballot this fall. All of them pose a threat to the administration of future elections, and all have a chance to win in November. One of them, in Wyoming, doesn’t even have a general election opponent, meaning he is on a glide path to becoming the next secretary of state after winning a competitive primary in August.
###
About Issue One Action
Issue One Action is uniting Republicans, Democrats, and independents to protect our elections and fix our broken political system.