What Went Down In The June 21 Elections In Alabama, Virginia And Georgia

Yes, Kaleigh, especially since so many of these candidates are running for positions that will give them authority over election administration, as you’ve written. As the results com in, it’s hard not to think of today’s testimony by former Fulton County, Georgia election official Shaye Moss and her mother, Ruby Freeman, at today’s Jan. 6 hearing. They had been targeted by Trump, and Freeman left her home for two months out of fears for her safety. Trump had mentioned them by name numerous times in his infamous phone call to Raffensperger to “find” more votes. It’s a reminder that the Big Lie has had real-world consequences for real people.

I worry a bit that with the sheer volume of election-denying candidates running in Republican races, we might become numb to how extreme these views are. For elections that had been called through June 13, 52 percent of Republican nominees have either said the election was stolen or questioned the results. That’s … a lot of candidates who question a fundamental part of our democracy running for elected office this fall.

We’re up to 12 percent reporting in the Republican runoff for Alabama secretary of state, and Wes Allen is leading Jim Zeigler 66 percent to 34 percent. This election will essentially determine who oversees the 2024 presidential election in the state, but no matter who wins, it will be someone who has expressed sympathy with Trump’s false claims of widespread voter fraud.