Approximately 17 election deniers are running for office, but most have dropped the “stop the steal” attitude and replaced it with “election security.” The reason is simple: the message did not work, and voters are tired of them complaining about the 2020 elections.
Wrong message
Speaking to NBC News, veteran GOP strategist Alex Conant said, “Republicans want to win in 2024. They know they’re not going to win in 2020 — there’s nothing we can do now to change what happened.” He added that the election steal message “didn’t work.”
Changing the tune
Conant added that Republican voters want to know that “their votes count.” That’s why they are “more interested in what candidates can do about election security than listening to them complaining about 2020 conspiracy theories.”
But there’s another element
According to Joanna Lydgate, CEO of States United Action, the election denialists “damaged” trust in the election process. This led to “threats and harassment that election officials are dealing with every day.” She claimed it is vital to remember this when it comes to reformed election deniers fighting for office.
But not everyone’s backing down
Kari Lake, a staunch Trump supporter, promoted stolen elections, and her denialism grew after she lost the governor seat in 2022 to Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs. The loss led to numerous unsuccessful lawsuits, and Lake is now fighting for the Senate.
The Senate race is different for Lake, too
The Arizona Republican still hasn’t admitted defeat in 2022. But, her race for the Senate is focused primarily on the economy, border crisis, homelessness, and her pro-abortion stance.
GOP consultant blasted Lake
In November 2023, Republican political consultant Tim Miller blasted Lake, “You say you care about the fentanyl crisis and our kids. So if you care so deeply about this, couldn’t you actually do something about it if you stopped the b….. about the last election?”
KTAR radio interview with Lake
The former Arizona gubernatorial candidate did not want to discuss her loss and all the lawsuits in the KTAR radio interview. Instead, she said, ‘I don’t want to sit and look backward,” adding that lawsuits were supposed to ensure “that going forward our elections are strong.” Lake also stated the elections “are run very poorly.'”
Abe Hamadeh also joined the trend
Like Lake, Hamadeh was also endorsed by former President Trump. He ran for the Arizona AG position but lost and got involved in a web of lawsuits. Hamadeh is running for Congress, “I look forward to bringing everything I’ve learned from our lawsuits fighting for election integrity into the halls of Congress.”
But, House Republicans proved that many still stand by Trump’s allegations
Democratic strategist Jesse Ferguson told NBC News that a resolution, brought by Florida Republican Matt Gaetz that Trump didn’t engage in insurrection on January 6, 2021, is a way to “keep attention on the party’s focus on the 2020 election and its chaotic aftermath.”
Many still are election deniers
According to Ferguson, many GOP candidates still “seem pretty hauled in on Trump’s idea that the election was stolen.” He added, “It’s hard to see them getting any real daylight from where they’ve been on that.”
Other names mentioned
Dan Cox is running for Congress following his defeat in 2022 in the race for Maryland Governor. He attended a rally before January 6 and posted conspiracy theories on X, but according to his website, the main issues listed are the economy, borders, crimes, veterans, and seniors.
Nevada’s Senate candidate
Jim Marchant repeated in 2023 that the elections were “likely” stolen. However, his plans include going forward to “ensure none of the other ones are stolen.” Marchant did not make further comments and refused to talk to NBC News.
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