Bipartisan State Leaders Applaud Corporate Leadership on Voting Rights; Urge Others to Speak Out
Published: 4.20.21
NATIONWIDE — Today a bipartisan coalition of more than 50 current and former state officials – governors, lieutenant governors, attorneys general, and secretaries of state – released an open letter thanking businesses for speaking out in support of voting rights and encouraging more to do so. The letter was organized by the States United Democracy Center, a new nonpartisan organization formed by the leaders who ran the Voter Protection Program in 2020.
The letter applauds corporate executives for supporting voting rights and urges others to engage on the issue, including the excerpt below. The letter can be read in full here.
“When the foundation of our democracy – the freedom of citizens in our states to cast their ballots – is under attack, it is powerful and important when Americans speak up, especially those in leadership positions.
Companies, and the people who work for them, are vital parts of our communities. We’ve seen the power of corporate leadership in the past on issues foundational to our democracy. We’ve seen corporations rightly rally to the side of equal rights and racial justice. We’ve worked with state and local business leaders to confront the economic struggles of a global pandemic. And now, we need more companies to add their public support for protecting voting rights.”
The bipartisan letter follows hundreds of corporations uniting opposition to limiting access to the ballot box and the recently released letter from 72 Black business executives that called on corporations to protect the freedom to vote following the introduction of more than 360 bills aimed at restricting voting access that have been introduced across 47 states. Many of these bills are based on the same lies that led to violence during the 2020 elections, and add barriers to voting that disproportionately impact voters of color, the elderly, our veterans, and those with disabilities.
“As voter suppression bills are introduced across the country, it’s powerful to see business leaders joining pro-democracy state officials in support of American voters,” said Joanna Lydgate, States United Democracy Center CEO. “We have long seen the power of business to create positive change in this country. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment in our nation’s history, and now is the time to join with leaders from all backgrounds in protecting the freedom to vote.”
“As a former Governor, I know the impact the business community can and does have on issues foundational to our democracy. We all benefit from strong partnership and collaboration across sectors and states in protecting the freedom to vote. In 2020, we got a glimpse of how far anti-democracy forces are willing to go. Now, we must amplify pro-democracy officials and policies on both sides of the aisle to protect the will of the American people,” said former Governor Christine Todd-Whitman, States United Democracy Center Co-Chair.
The letter was led by Governors Roy Cooper (NC) and Gretchen Whitmer (MI) and former Governors Arne Carlson (MN), Bill Weld (MA), and Christine Todd Whitman (NJ). Participating state leaders included:
Governor Roy Cooper, North Carolina
Governor Arne Carlson, Minnesota (Fmr)
Governor Bill Weld, Massachusetts (Fmr)
Governor Christine Todd Whitman, New Jersey (Fmr)
Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Michigan
Governor John Bel Edwards, Louisiana
Governor Andy Beshear, Kentucky
Governor Kate Brown, Oregon
Governor Steve Bullock, Montana (Fmr)
Governor Tony Evers, Wisconsin
Governor Jay Inslee, Washington
Governor Janet Mills, Maine
Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey
Governor Ralph Northam, Virginia
Governor Tim Walz, Minnesota
Governor Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania
Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Minnesota
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II, Michigan
Lt. Governor Molly Gray, Vermont
Lt. Governor Michael Steele, Maryland (Fmr)
Attorney General Hector Balderas, New Mexico
Attorney General Clare Connors, Hawaii
Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, Nevada (Fmr)
Attorney General TJ Donovan, Vermont
Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minnesota
Attorney General John Farmer Jr., New Jersey (Fmr)
Attorney General Aaron Ford, Nevada
Attorney General Aaron Frey, Maine
Attorney General Brian Frosh, Maryland
Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, New Jersey
Attorney General Maura Healey, Massachusetts
Attorney General Mark Herring, Virginia
Attorney General Jim Hood, Mississippi (Fmr)
Attorney General Letitia James, New York
Attorney General Kathy Jennings, Delaware
Attorney General Josh Kaul, Wisconsin
Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth, Alaska (Fmr)
Attorney General Dana Nessel, Michigan
Attorney General Karl Racine, District of Columbia
Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Illinois
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum, Oregon
Attorney General Josh Stein, North Carolina
Attorney General Phil Weiser, Colorado
Attorney General Grant Woods, Arizona (Fmr)
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Maine
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Michigan
Secretary of State Jim Condos, Vermont
Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, Oregon
Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea, Rhode Island
Secretary of State Trey Grayson III, Kentucky (Fmr)
Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Colorado
Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, Arizona
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, North Carolina
Secretary of State Denise Merrill, Connecticut
Secretary of State Steve Simon, Minnesota
Secretary of State Tahesha Way, New Jersey
*List in formation
###
The States United Democracy Center is a nonpartisan organization advancing free, fair, and secure elections. For more information, visit www.statesuniteddemocracy.org.