Election Deniers Are Running to Control Voting in 23 States — Including Key Swing States

The 2026 midterm elections are shaping up to be more than just a referendum on Trump’s fading popularity or congressional control. Hidden in the shuffle is a looming threat to American democracy: dozens of candidates who reject the legitimacy of the 2020 election are running for offices that will directly influence how future elections are run and certified.

According to a new analysis from States United Action, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting election integrity, at least 53 candidates who have denied the 2020 election results are vying for statewide positions in 23 states, including five critical presidential swing states. These offices include secretaries of state, governors, and attorneys general — roles that shape election administration, certification, and enforcement.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Secretaries of state, traditionally bureaucratic roles, became frontline defenders of democracy in 2020. Georgia’s Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger famously resisted Trump’s demand to “find” enough votes to overturn the election, while Michigan’s Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson faced armed threats at her home. Now, both states will elect new secretaries of state and governors, with election deniers among the contenders.

Arizona, another battleground, illustrates the danger vividly: candidates who reject 2020 results are running for all three key statewide offices. The GOP frontrunner for governor, Rep. Andy Biggs, voted against certifying the 2020 election results in Congress and reportedly sought ways to interfere with Arizona’s certification process. This marks a sharp shift from the state’s previous governor, Doug Ducey, who resisted Trump’s pressure to meddle.

States United CEO Joanna Lydgate warns that while some officials have stood firm against interference, electing candidates who reject the basic premise of free and fair elections risks undermining the entire system. “We know that they will do that again,” she said, “but it’s incredibly important that we elect people who believe in our system.”

Despite this alarming trend, the number of election deniers running statewide is actually down compared to recent cycles. Experts attribute this to voters’ rejection of election denial as a winning campaign strategy in competitive races. After the 2022 midterms, analyses showed that Republican candidates who denied 2020 results underperformed their peers by about three percentage points on average.

However, in states Trump won by large margins or in crowded GOP primaries where Trump’s endorsement matters, election denial remains a potent political force. Brendan Fischer of the Campaign Legal Center describes a well-organized “election denial infrastructure” that continues to push false narratives and influence candidates and lawmakers.

This movement remains a small minority nationally but wields outsized influence within Republican politics. With control over election administration at stake, the 2026 midterms could determine whether future elections are free, fair, and secure — or hollowed out by officials who reject the very results they are sworn to uphold.