Free and fair elections are the fundamental bedrock of democracy. We must be prepared to put country over party to defend that democratic foundation. It’s why I joined with likeminded Republicans and Democrats in advance of the 2020 elections to form and fund a non-partisan group called Citizens for a Strong Democracy or CSD. The mission of CSD is to strengthen public confidence in our election systems and the results of the vote. CSD educated voters about how to safely and effectively vote in their communities. After the vote, we at CSD continued to work with other non-partisan groups, including the Voter Protection Program or VPP, to help ensure all legal votes were counted and the results were respected. Once it was clear that the will of the people required a change of Presidential Administration, we worked with the Partnership for Public Service to support a peaceful transfer of power.
I’m inspired by what I witnessed during this volatile election cycle – thousands of Americans regardless of political affiliation who rose above partisan differences to defend our Constitutional Republic when it came under attack. Donald Trump and those who aided and abetted him in his relentless undermining of our Democracy – including Senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz – must be denounced. In particular, I made it clear to Senator Cruz, whom I have known for years, before the Joint Session of Congress, that if he proceeded to object to the Electoral count of the legitimate slates of delegates certified by the States, I could no longer support him. In moments like this, all freedom loving Americans must put the survival of our democracy above loyalty to any party or individual. Now we must also begin the hard work of holding those accountable who committed violence, improving confidence in our elections and closing the vulnerabilities revealed by this dark chapter in our history so that all Americans can enjoy our beloved democracy for generations to come. If you want to join us in that critical mission, we welcome you to join us at CSD (https://citizensstrongdemocracy.org/).
