Press Releases

Public Wise Announces Slate of Endorsements Ahead of 2024 Election

04.30.2024 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT: Danielle Carrasquero, danielle.carrasquero@berlinrosen.com; Shayna Farmelant, shayna.farmelant@berlinrosen.com 

Announcement comes on the heels of the recently released Election Threat Index in Arizona and Pennsylvania tracking the impact of election deniers currently in office

WASHINGTON, D.C.Public Wise, a voting rights organization which works to secure a government that reflects the will and protects the rights of the people, announced their 2024 endorsements for 20 candidates running for office in key battleground states including Pennsylvania, Arizona, and North Carolina.

The endorsements include:

  • Anand Patel, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
  • Hadley Haas, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
  • Sara Agerton, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
  • Anna Thomas, Pennsylvania House of Representatives 
  • Elizabeth Moro, Pennsylvania House of Representatives 
  • Ruben Gallego, United States Senate (AZ)
  • Raquel Terán, United States Congress (AZ-03)
  • Kirsten Engel, United States Congress (AZ-06)
  • Judy Schwiebert, Arizona State Senate
  • Stephanie Simacek, Arizona House of Representatives
  • Stacey Seaman, Arizona State Senate
  • Keith Seaman, Arizona House of Representatives
  • John McLean, Arizona State Senate
  • Kevin Volk, Arizona House of Representatives
  • Brian Fernandez, Arizona State Senate
  • Matias Rosales, Arizona House of Representatives
  • Mariana Sandoval, Arizona House of Representatives
  • Josh Stein, North Carolina Governor 
  • Mo Green, North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction 
  • Allison Riggs, North Carolina State Supreme Court

“The future of our democracy is on the line this November, and not just in the presidential election. Many of the candidates we are endorsing are running for local offices and facing challengers who are election deniers, are running on extremist platforms, and will stop at nothing to undermine our elections in order to gain power,” said Christina Baal-Owens, Executive Director of Public Wise. “We are fighting for the fundamental right of every individual to participate in free and fair elections, and our hope is that our endorsements uplift the candidates who we believe are best suited to safeguard democracy.”

Public Wise began its endorsement process by looking for races where a clear champion of democracy is facing off against an individual who has credibly participated in election denial activities, such as enacting laws that undermine fair voting processes and illegally interfering in elections. In at least one case, our endorsed candidate’s opponent was at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. By supporting these key races across the nation, Public Wise is working to ensure that those who actively work to undermine our democracy do not hold public office.

Public Wise has been active in calling for accountability since the insurrection, having launched the Insurrection Index in 2022. The Insurrection Index holds over 1,800 records of individuals and organizations in public trust who played a role in the insurrection to hold these actors accountable. Most recently, Public Wise started to release an Election Threat Index to track election deniers who currently hold office in key states, starting by finding 105 elected officials in Pennsylvania and 46 elected officials in Arizona. In the coming months, Public Wise plans to expand the Election Threat Index to include North Carolina, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Nevada.

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About Public Wise

Persistent and unyielding in our commitment to a just multiracial democracy, Public Wise fights to secure a government that reflects the will and protects the rights of the people. We accomplish this through education, research, organizing, funding, and partnerships that support more voting and more equitable representation.