As the dust settles on the 2022 midterm elections, attention is turning to the down-ballot races for secretary of state and attorney general that could have a major impact on how the 2024 elections are administered.
In many of these races, candidates who promoted conspiracy theories about the 2020 election have lost, although key contests in states like Arizona and Nevada are still to be decided.
One trend that has emerged in this year’s secretary of state races is that mainstream Republicans who faced credible Democratic competition tended to win. For example, Brad Raffensperger, who rebuffed then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, won re-election. Similarly, Iowa’s incumbent secretary of state, Paul Pate, was re-elected despite facing a strong Democratic challenger.
The results of these races will have important implications for how elections are conducted in the future. Secretaries of state are responsible for overseeing elections and certifying results, while attorneys general play a key role in enforcing election laws and investigating allegations of voter fraud.
In states where Republicans hold both positions, there are concerns that they could use their power to tilt the playing field in favor of their party. This has already happened in states like Georgia, where Republican officials passed laws making it harder to vote and easier to challenge election results.
As the 2024 elections approach, the outcome of these down-ballot races will be closely watched by both parties. Democrats are hoping to build on their gains in 2020 and expand access to voting, while Republicans are likely to continue pushing for restrictions on voting in the name of election integrity.
In the end, the decisions made by secretaries of state and attorneys general could have a major impact on the outcome of the 2024 elections and the future of American democracy. It remains to be seen who will come out on top in key contests like those in Arizona and Nevada, but one thing is clear: the stakes have never been higher.
