A GOP Attempt to Steal a State Supreme Court Seat Is a ‘Total Warning Sign for 2026’
Democrats should be preparing now for a Republican 'scorched-earth' campaign in the midterms.
President Donald Trump’s recent setbacks have raised Democratic hopes of regaining a share of power in 2026 – if, that is, the elections remain free and fair.
But events keep demonstrating how conditional that hallmark of American democracy has become. In multiple ways and places, Republicans have signaled their intent to steal elections wherever and however they can.
On day one of his second presidency, Trump pardoned violent Jan. 6 insurrectionists. He corrupted the Justice Department to do his bidding, and instigated an investigation of a former aide who vouched for the legitimacy of his 2020 defeat. Meanwhile, a Trump executive order seeks to eradicate balloting rules that have benefited Democrats.
This week, news emerged that the administration may pay $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt, who reportedly ignored police warnings and was fatally shot by an officer as she attempted to break into the House chamber on Jan. 6, 2021.
“We should expect all of this to be a preview,” warns Ben Wikler, the Democratic Party chairman in Wisconsin. “Democrats should anticipate and prepare for absolutely scorched-earth hardball to bend any lever of power, even past the breaking point.”
Wikler’s home state, a critical electoral battleground, has long been ground zero for GOP extremism. In 2023, Wisconsin Republicans threatened to impeach a Democrat elected to the state Supreme Court before she had even heard a case.