Democratic Governors Form Coalition to Safeguard Democracy Ahead of Trump Term
Two Democratic governors launched a state-level coalition on Wednesday to protect democracy ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) are co-chairs of the Governors Safeguarding Democracy organization, which is a “historic nonpartisan coalition of governors working together to protect the state-level institutions of democracy, leveraging their unique legislative, budgetary, executive, and administrative powers to deliver results for the American people,” according to a statement released Monday.
Polis, who also serves as the chair of the National Governors Association, said in a statement that “protecting democracy has never been more relevant or important, and doing so demands strong leadership at the state level.”
The coalition will work to protect key state institutions like executive agencies and state courts and develop “playbooks” to ensure that governors and state officials can “anticipate and swiftly respond to emerging threats” to democracy, the website stated.
“Working together, we leverage the collective strength, experience, and institutional knowledge in governors’ offices across the country to craft laws and policies that protect the rule of law and serve the people of our great states,” the organization said on its website.
The alliance will also collaborate with a variety of think tanks, legal experts and democracy advocates to ensure state leaders are prepared to effectively tackle any challenges.
The coalition is supported by the Governors Action Alliance, a nonpartisan organization helping officials protect fundamental freedoms in their states, headed by an advisory board of past governors and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates.
“At this critical moment in our history, we must unite to protect the foundations of our democracy and ensure our institutions withstand threats and persevere in their mission to improve the lives of our people,” Pritzker said in a statement.