Protect the 2026 Midterms: Defend State Authority Over Elections

Protect the 2026 Midterms: Defend State Authority Over Our Elections I am writing with urgent concern about the integrity of the 2026 midterm elections. A ProPublica investigation published today — “Inside Trump’s Effort to ‘Take Over’ the Midterm Elections” — reports that federal election safeguards that helped prevent election subversion in 2020 have been systematically weakened. As the chief executive of this state, you are now on the front line of defending the constitutional order and the public’s confidence in free and fair elections. At least 75 career officials who played important roles in election work at DOJ, DHS, and other agencies are gone — replaced by roughly two dozen appointees, ten of whom actively worked to reverse the 2020 vote. At least 11 appointees have ties to the Election Integrity Network, led by Cleta Mitchell, who attempted to help Trump overturn the 2020 election; these officials have given the network’s members private government briefings. Senior federal election officials — including the DHS official in charge of election integrity — attended a summit convened by Michael Flynn at which participants pressed Trump to declare a national emergency to take over the midterms. Meanwhile, key federal election-security support functions have been weakened or disrupted, leaving states with fewer federal resources and less coordination heading into November. The Constitution assigns primary responsibility for administering elections to the states. I urgently ask that you: 1.         Assert and defend state authority over election administration against unlawful federal encroachment. 2.         Direct all state agencies to share confidential voter roll data only as required by law, and resist any improper, overbroad, or politically motivated request. 3.         Ensure that state election-certification procedures strictly follow state law, statutory deadlines, and transparent recordkeeping, and are insulated from political pressure. 4.         Publicly assure voters that elections will proceed and results will be certified according to the law. In 2020, federal career officials held the line. They are now largely gone. That responsibility must now be held at the state level. I am counting on you.