Ex-governors press successors to validate election outcomes
Former office holders express concern regarding a potential new effort to overturn the election outcome.
TroibNews 
A bipartisan coalition of former governors is initiating a campaign to urge their successors to certify the election results in their states following the upcoming November election, seeking to resist any potential pressure from former President Donald Trump.
Close to 20 former governors have joined this initiative, which is set to kick off on Tuesday—National Constitution Day—with additional signatories likely to come on board in the coming weeks. Organized by the pro-democracy group Keep Our Republic, the effort involves sending a letter—shared exclusively with PMG—to all 50 statehouses. This correspondence implores current governors to meet the federal deadline of December 11 for certifying election results.
In 2020, Trump attempted to persuade two Republican governors in crucial states, Brian Kemp of Georgia and Doug Ducey of Arizona, to dismiss the voters’ decisions in their states. Former governors are concerned that he might make another attempt this winter, despite federal laws having been updated to clarify that governors are mandated to certify the candidate who wins the popular vote.
Notable signatories include Republican former governors like Jeb Bush of Florida, John Kasich of Ohio, George Allen of Virginia, and Scott McCallum of Wisconsin, alongside former Democratic governors Ted Strickland of Ohio and Gray Davis of California. Although Democrats currently govern most battleground states, Georgia and Nevada are under Republican control, along with several other competitive states where Trump is looking to secure victories, such as Virginia and New Hampshire.
Former Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard, a Democrat who held office from 1983 to 1991, commented, “What happened in 2020 was crazy and awful,” adding, “But we're going to be united in a bipartisan fashion to make sure we protect the right to vote and the results, and we just want to make sure our fellow governors realize there's no discretion here.”
Per federal law, governors are tasked with certifying which candidate has won the popular vote in their states. The Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, passed with bipartisan support after Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, makes it clear that each state must submit one definitive slate of electors. Additionally, it underscores that the vice president’s role—performed by Vice President Kamala Harris, in this case—is solely ceremonial.
In 2020, Trump’s strategy involved having several battleground states present competing sets of electors, complicating the Electoral College certification process on January 6. This approach aimed to enable then-Vice President Mike Pence to discard those electors and award the election to Trump.
Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, a Republican, expressed his disappointment with Trump’s ongoing refusal to accept his 2020 loss, suggesting it could lead to claims that this year’s election is rigged. “When you make allegations, you better have some evidence,” Corbett remarked, adding, “And I have not seen any evidence.”
The group of former governors hopes to provide political backing for those GOP governors who might face pressure from Trump.
Blanchard emphasized that if a significant number of governors participate in this initiative, it could reduce the likelihood of those under pressure succumbing to calls to delay certification, knowing that it is a “clearly an administrative and clerical and lawful thing they must do.”
Democrats currently maintain the governorships in several key battleground states, including Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and have gained Arizona since the last presidential election. Concerns remain that Republicans might resort to tactics similar to those of 2020. In Georgia, for instance, three Republicans on the state Election Board are advocating for new rules that could threaten election certification, particularly if Harris wins the state, according to election experts and voting rights advocates.
Keep Our Republic, which is led by a board that includes veteran former House leader Dick Gephardt and ex-Senator Tim Wirth, has intensified its efforts in the battleground states.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
Close to 20 former governors have joined this initiative, which is set to kick off on Tuesday—National Constitution Day—with additional signatories likely to come on board in the coming weeks. Organized by the pro-democracy group Keep Our Republic, the effort involves sending a letter—shared exclusively with PMG—to all 50 statehouses. This correspondence implores current governors to meet the federal deadline of December 11 for certifying election results.
In 2020, Trump attempted to persuade two Republican governors in crucial states, Brian Kemp of Georgia and Doug Ducey of Arizona, to dismiss the voters’ decisions in their states. Former governors are concerned that he might make another attempt this winter, despite federal laws having been updated to clarify that governors are mandated to certify the candidate who wins the popular vote.
Notable signatories include Republican former governors like Jeb Bush of Florida, John Kasich of Ohio, George Allen of Virginia, and Scott McCallum of Wisconsin, alongside former Democratic governors Ted Strickland of Ohio and Gray Davis of California. Although Democrats currently govern most battleground states, Georgia and Nevada are under Republican control, along with several other competitive states where Trump is looking to secure victories, such as Virginia and New Hampshire.
Former Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard, a Democrat who held office from 1983 to 1991, commented, “What happened in 2020 was crazy and awful,” adding, “But we're going to be united in a bipartisan fashion to make sure we protect the right to vote and the results, and we just want to make sure our fellow governors realize there's no discretion here.”
Per federal law, governors are tasked with certifying which candidate has won the popular vote in their states. The Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, passed with bipartisan support after Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, makes it clear that each state must submit one definitive slate of electors. Additionally, it underscores that the vice president’s role—performed by Vice President Kamala Harris, in this case—is solely ceremonial.
In 2020, Trump’s strategy involved having several battleground states present competing sets of electors, complicating the Electoral College certification process on January 6. This approach aimed to enable then-Vice President Mike Pence to discard those electors and award the election to Trump.
Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, a Republican, expressed his disappointment with Trump’s ongoing refusal to accept his 2020 loss, suggesting it could lead to claims that this year’s election is rigged. “When you make allegations, you better have some evidence,” Corbett remarked, adding, “And I have not seen any evidence.”
The group of former governors hopes to provide political backing for those GOP governors who might face pressure from Trump.
Blanchard emphasized that if a significant number of governors participate in this initiative, it could reduce the likelihood of those under pressure succumbing to calls to delay certification, knowing that it is a “clearly an administrative and clerical and lawful thing they must do.”
Democrats currently maintain the governorships in several key battleground states, including Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, and have gained Arizona since the last presidential election. Concerns remain that Republicans might resort to tactics similar to those of 2020. In Georgia, for instance, three Republicans on the state Election Board are advocating for new rules that could threaten election certification, particularly if Harris wins the state, according to election experts and voting rights advocates.
Keep Our Republic, which is led by a board that includes veteran former House leader Dick Gephardt and ex-Senator Tim Wirth, has intensified its efforts in the battleground states.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
