Democratic Govs. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Jared Polis of Colorado are leading a new effort to “uphold and fortify American democracy” on the statewide level, weeks before the federal government is set to see a massive shift in power to Republicans.
Although the newly launched “Governors Safeguarding Democracy” website does not mention Donald Trump and is being branded as a nonpartisan effort, it comes just a week after the former president and now president-elect secured another four years in the White House – in the face of warnings from Democrats that he is a threat to U.S. ideals and institutions.
“In this moment, protecting democracy has never been more relevant or important, and doing so demands strong leadership at the state level," Polis said in a press release announcing the group.
The effort, which the governors are calling a “first of its kind nonpartisan alliance,” is driven by the idea that preserving democracy takes action and “hope alone” will not save it.
Those involved will work to develop “playbooks” governors can follow to respond to emerging threats, protect state institutions such as elections offices and state courts and craft “strategies” to preserve the rule of law.
“We strengthen the foundations of American democracy by catalyzing collaboration across state lines,” the group’s website reads. "Working together, we leverage the collective strength, experience, and institutional knowledge in governors’ offices across the country to craft laws and policies that protect the rule of law and serve the people of our great states.”
Behind the effort is the Governors Action Alliance, which refers to itself as “a nonpartisan organization that unites governors to champion fundamental freedoms.” Its board includes former governors from both parties, including former Republican Govs. Arne Carlson of Minnesota and Bill Weld of Massachusetts as well as Democratic Govs. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin and Deval Patrick of Massachusetts.
Trump cruised to victory in last week’s election, sweeping all seven major battleground states. Republicans also swiftly recaptured control of the Senate from Democrats, and on Wednesday this week the Associated Press declared the GOP will also hang onto its majority in the House, delivering Trump a trifecta in Washington to kick off his second term.
The topic of Democrats’ focus on Trump as a “danger” to democracy on the campaign trail has received widespread attention in the wake of last week’s results as the party reckons with the electoral beating it took. Some have criticized Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris’ emphasis on the subject in the final weeks of her campaign as Trump’s solid victory appeared to signal it was not a top concern to voters.
In the aftermath of the election, some Democratic governors moved quickly to try to proactively counter the incoming administration, including Pritzker, who sought to send a message to the president-elect two days after the election.
“You come for my people, you come through me,” he told reporters.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, on the other hand, called for a special legislative session to “protect California values, including fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, immigrant families, and more.”
A press release from his office stated that this is just the first step he will take to shore up the state’s “defenses against an incoming federal administration that has threatened the state on multiple fronts.”
It is unclear if other current governors are currently involved in the “Governors Safeguarding Democracy” effort. The group did not immediately respond to inquiries from Spectrum News on the topic.