Heading into June Primaries, New States United Action Data Highlights Trend of Election Deniers Running for Statewide Roles with Election Oversight Power
“Replacing the Refs” Tracker Emphasizes Primary Urgency; Six States Have Election Deniers Running in Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State Contests
Published: 6.6.22
Washington, D.C. — Ahead of June primaries happening in 17 states, States United Action released today updated data on Election Denier candidates running for statewide office. The updated Replacing the Refs tool tracks the trend of candidates who deny the results of the 2020 election running for Governor, Secretary of State, and Attorney General — the statewide offices that run, oversee, and protect our elections.
The June update indicates that more than half of Governors’ races include an Election denier. In addition, nearly half of state Attorney General races and nearly two thirds of Secretary of State races have a candidate running who denies the results of the 2020 election and who has furthered election conspiracies.
As of June 6, 2022, there are still six states with Election Deniers running for all three top statewide positions — Alabama, Arizona, California, Kansas, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Other key data updates:
- At least 35 Election Deniers are running for Governor in 20 states
- At least 23 Election Deniers are running for Secretary of State in 17 states
- At least 15 Election Deniers are running for Attorney General in 13 states
“As we enter the busiest part of this primary season – 32 states will select their midterm election candidates in the next 90 days – it’s critical that voters know what’s at stake with Election Deniers running to oversee our elections,” said Thania Sanchez, Senior Vice President of Research and Policy Development at States United Action. “Democracy can’t wait until the fall. Voters need to pay attention to what’s at risk right now and understand how the people in these roles can affect voter experience and elections.”
States United Action is updating the Replacing the Refs tracker, first released February 1, each month throughout this election cycle to account for state filing deadlines, candidate announcements, candidate dropouts, and primary results.
Learn more about the anti-democracy playbook and the election subversion trend in the states here.
Learn more about the role each statewide official plays in election administration in the States United Democracy Center blog post here.
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About States United Action
States United Action is a nonpartisan section 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization with a mission to protect our elections and our democracy. States United Action advocates for policies that protect election integrity, hold democracy violators accountable, and prevent political violence that threatens to undermine the will of the American people, and amplifies the voices of state leaders and law enforcement leaders who share these values.