End Citizens United // Let America Vote endorsed Adrian Fontes for Arizona Secretary of State.
“Adrian Fontes has dedicated his career to public service, serving in the Marines and then working as a lawyer and advocate to help communities in need. As a former election Recorder, Fontes secured polling locations, trained poll workers, and educated voters. We are proud to endorse him because he is dedicated to giving Arizona voters a voice and guaranteeing a fair democratic process,” said End Citizens United // Let America Vote President Tiffany Muller. “His opponent, Mark Finchem, is a QAnon extremist who was part of the criminal conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election and poses a dangerous threat to our democracy.”
Fontes has fought to protect our freedom to vote:
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As Maricopa County Recorder, Fontes revolutionized a broken, outdated, and unjust voting system by making elections more accessible and more secure.
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He implemented a comprehensive plan in advance of Election Day: securing polling locations, recruiting and training poll workers, and educating voters on where, when, and how to vote.
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The infrastructure Fontes put in place helped increase registered voters by five hundred thousand people, leading to record turnout in the 2020 elections.
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At a time when the freedom to vote is under attack in Arizona, we need Adrian Fontes’ experience and leadership to administer the state’s elections.
Mark Finchem is an extremist and conspiracy theorist who threatens the democratic process in Arizona:
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Finchem was part of the mob that attacked the Capitol on January 6th. As the attack was underway, he tweeted a photo of the mob with the hashtag #stopthesteal and the caption: “What happens when the People feel they have been ignored, and Congress refuses to acknowledge rampant fraud.”
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He is a self-proclaimed member of the Oath Keepers, an anti-government militia that took part in the 2020 insurrection.
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He continues to deny the 2020 election results and works with insurrectionists across the country, promoting Trump’s Big Lie.
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Finchem has introduced laws that would make ballots public record in addition to a bill that would allow the state legislature to reject election results.
The endorsement is part of the group’s first-ever “Democracy Defenders” program for preeminent Attorney General and Secretary of State candidates in the 2022 cycle. These constitutional officers are critical in the fight to combat dark money-fueled restrictive voting laws being passed across the country.
ECU // LAV is a leading anti-corruption and voting rights group. The grassroots-funded political action committee raised and spent $65.5 million in the 2020 election cycle to elect candidates fighting to limit the influence of big money in politics and protect the freedom to vote.
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