Gambling on Some Light Election Denialism In Pennsylvania
Happy Thursday!
The Republican nominee in the Pennsylvania gubernatorial race is engaged in a delicate balancing act as she attempts to appeal to President Trump and his base of supporters while also trying to win over undecided voters or those who elected the state’s Democratic incumbent. For a Republican in a swing state in 2026, that means finding your election denialism equilibrium.
During a news interview on Sunday with Dennis Owens, Trump-endorsed Republican nominee Stacy Garrity, sort of, but not really, admitted that Trump lost the 2020 election. But she was dodgy in her response and said she wanted to instead “look forward.”
Owens asked her explicitly if she believes Trump lost the election. She responded with “yeah,” but added, “I mean, I won, and that’s what I’m most concerned about.”
“But we know there were irregularities. We know there were, I just can’t tell you to what extent,” she continued. “But the president seems, you know, he’s very convinced that there was a lot there. And it seems like more information comes out all the time. But I’d rather look forward.”
Garrity also noted that she would “absolutely” cooperate with the Trump Justice Department’s ongoing crusade to obtain sensitive voter data from states.
Pennsylvania is one of many states that has not complied with the DOJ’s demand for voter roll data. Despite the fact that the administration has faced over 20 losses in court, including a loss in Pennsylvania — with federal judges affirming time and time again that the administration is not entitled to this type of information — Garrity said she would comply.
“If we think there’s not voter fraud, then why not hand over the rolls and prove him wrong?” Garrity, who has her own history with election denialism, said.
As always, there’s a lot more to unpack. Let’s dig in.
Some Good News in Deep Red Shasta County
A Shasta County judge has temporarily blocked a conspiracy theory-inspired measure in a deep red California county that has long been bogged down by election denial activity. The measure, known as Measure B, would have banned most mail-in voting and required the hand-counting of ballots, among other problematic election-related changes.
In June of this year, Shasta County voters approved Measure B. In response, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber filed a lawsuit seeking to shut down the election administration changes in California’s Third District Court of Appeals, arguing that the proposal violates state election law.
Shasta County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Hanna, for the most part, agreed.
“Measure B seeks to create a whole new electoral system that would require creation of new voter rolls and re-registration of existing voters,” Hanna wrote, granting a preliminary injunction on August 7. “Such a feat would be difficult under normal time frames, let alone three months before the November general election.”
“Measure B would unlawfully change how elections are conducted in Shasta County,” Bonta said in a statement about last week’s ruling. “Today’s ruling prevents Measure B from taking effect while our litigation proceeds, providing certainty that the November election will be conducted under California’s established election laws. We will continue fighting to permanently strike down the measure.”
This is not the first time the MAGA-run county has tried to pass similarly problematic election administration changes. In 2023, the county’s supervisor board — which at that point had been overrun with election deniers — attempted to adopt a hand-counting system of ballots. In response, the state implemented a ban on hand-counting ballots.
Senate Dems Send Trump Admin a Warning About Illegal Voter Purges
A group of Senate Democrats have sent the Trump administration a warning about engaging in illegal voter purges ahead of Election Day, reminding officials in a letter that voter purges conducted within 90 days of an election are strictly prohibited by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
The letter comes against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to interfere in election administration and sow seeds of doubt and fear in the country’s election system. More specifically, the Trump administration has, for many months now, been attempting to force states across the country to share sensitive voter roll data with the federal government.
With the 2026 midterm elections less than 90 days away, the NVRA’s “quiet period” in which voter purges are prohibited, has now begun.
In an August 5th letter addressed to then-Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a group of 30 Senate Democrats led by Sens. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) wrote: “We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90-day ‘quiet period’ mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).”
“Relatedly, in light of this prohibition, the Department of Justice (DOJ) should drop its ongoing litigation to compel states to provide access to their voter registration lists and acquiesce to unlawful federal list maintenance,” the letter adds. “While we have previously expressed our concern about these tactics, we remind you of the settled law protecting voters in the lead up to an election and urge you to cease these efforts immediately.”
The Trump administration has also been trying to compel states to run their voter rolls through a proven-unreliable database known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system, which has incorrectly flagged eligible voters as being ineligible. The letter notes that Mullin’s continued promotion of the use of the SAVE program has “been proven to result in the removal of eligible voters from the voter rolls prior to the ‘quiet period.’’
“… we must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the ‘quiet period’ are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings,” the letter adds.
In Other Election News:
The New York Times: A Growing Number of Election Deniers Hold Key Local Roles in Midterms
TPM: Trump-Backed Election Denier Expected to Secure GOP Nomination for Wisconsin Governor
TPM: Following His Primary Loss, Lindell Has Questions About the Numbers
CNN: Markwayne Mullin uses Homeland Security to further Trump’s voter fraud crusade
Shapiro is lapping Garrity. She could walk down Philly’s Broad Street buck naked and not get her approval up enough to matter. The only question is PA is whether or not D’s take sweep the legislature houses and other statewide offices. I’m taking the over on that.