The Shape of Things: Accountability after a failed insurrection
Immediately after the attack on our Capitol, 147 representatives and senators voted against certifying election results in an attempt to reject millions of ballots and overturn the election results. And they did so while continuing to peddle dangerous misinformation about election fraud.
While President Trump faces an impeachment trial for his role in inciting a seditious mob, some of these other enabling, complicit politicians may avoid accountability from voters -- gerrymandering may protect them at the ballot box in their next election.
How lawmakers enabled undemocratic behavior
Half of the representatives who voted against certifying ballots represent states with gerrymandered districts such as Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Ohio.
The collective myth of widespread voter fraud is not only enabled by this lack of accountability -- but extreme partisan representatives in gerrymandered states also use it to justify voter restrictions and perpetuate weakened accountability.
It's part of the reason politicians like Jim Jordan, Joe Wilson, Troy Nehls, and Barry Loudermilk supported efforts to overturn the election. Silencing voters to maintain power is baked into their strategy.
Our Shape of Things series raises awareness about how gerrymandered districts impact our communities and also our ability to hold politicians accountable for their role in undermining our institutions. Will you make a $15 recurring donation to support our efforts?
139 members of the House of Representatives voted to silence millions of Americans who legally cast ballots. 43 of those members represent districts that are gerrymandered. Here's a snapshot of how four of them -- Jim Jordan, Joe Wilson, Troy Nehls, and Barry Loudermilk -- played a role in inciting the failed insurrection.
1. OH-04 Jim Jordan
- Jim Jordan was one of the loudest proponents of the seditious "stop the steal" rhetoric. While he has since tried to claim he never said the election was stolen, there is mounting evidence to the contrary -- including a tweet saying "Democrats are trying to steal the election" and his presence at a "Stop the Steal" rally in Pennsylvania two days after the election.
- In the final days of his presidency, Trump thanked Jordan for his blind allegiance with a Medal of Freedom -- citing misinformation Jordan peddled during Trump's previous impeachment related to manipulating election results.
2. SC-02 Joe Wilson
- Perhaps best known for heckling President Obama at the State of the Union address, Joe Wilson's resume also includes serving as a former County Election Commissioner -- which makes his steadfast commitment to objecting to the Electoral College certification even more disturbing.
- In a statement issued days before the failed insurrection, he referenced this experience as an election worker -- presumably to lend credibility to his decision to object to the election results. In the same statement, he cited multiple false claims of voter fraud and Texas A.G. Paxton's failed lawsuit to get the Supreme Court to overturn the election.
3. TX-22 Troy Nehls
- After echoing lies about voter fraud and even performatively asking Speaker Pelosi to investigate "voting irregularities" -- Nehls tweeted this the day before the attack: "I will OBJECT to the counting of electoral votes in disputed states tomorrow. You sent me to Congress to fight for President Trump and election integrity and that's exactly what I'm doing." The reality, of course, is that he's undermining election integrity.
4. GA-11 Barry Loudermilk
- Loudermilk publicly announced his intention to object to certifying results after trying to perpetuate the myth of fraud in Georgia -- even after the Republican Georgia Secretary of State completed an audit of absentee ballots in Cobb County (a region Loudermilk represents).
- His refusal to accept facts from an election official -- even one from his own party -- helped sow the "big lie" conservatives were perpetuating in the final days before the attack.
Elected officials who try to undermine our democracy need to face consequences. That includes facing voters at the ballot box fairly. We must ensure representatives have to answer to a broad and diverse electorate and not a constituency that's cherry-picked through gerrymandering.
Our grassroots movement is actively pursuing immediate accountability by demanding the resignation of the 147 representatives and senators who attempted to overturn the results of a free and fair election. We're also working to create long term accountability and credibility by advocating for democracy reform through bills like the For the People Act and the John Lewis VRAA.
We're kicking our efforts into the next gear. Will you make a recurring donation right now to support our work in Georgia, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and states across the country?
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Gerrymandered districts have given partisan politicians "safe" reelections that help them hide from consequences.
This year, we have a chance to directly address and end one of the ways these politicians gained power in the first place: gerrymandering.
Thank you for all you do,
The AOTL Team
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| Contributions or gifts to The National Redistricting Action Fund are not tax deductible. | |
| This email was sent to: awolofa@yorkteaparty.org. |
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