Drew Gattine, Chair of the Maine Democratic Party, released the following statement regarding the one-year anniversary of the failed insurrection on Capitol Hill:
“A year after the assault on the Capitol, I am still chilled by the images of the brutal violence perpetrated by the rioters and saddened by the loss of the Capitol Police officers who were killed defending our democracy. The deadly riots were the culmination of a sinister, calculated plot by Donald Trump and the Republican Party to overturn the results of the 2020 election. While the plot failed, it is increasingly clear that Republican efforts to silence the voices of Americans who don’t support them are far from over.
“In response to the ongoing threat to our democracy, Maine Democrats have sprung into action to protect the right to vote, reducing barriers to register to vote and ensuring the ballot counting process is accurate and free of fraud. At the federal level, Congresswoman Pingree and Congressman Golden joined their House colleagues to pass two landmark voting rights bills: the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.
“Unfortunately, instead of siding with democracy, Maine Republicans have made it clear that they no longer respect democracy and will go to whatever lengths necessary to implement their unpopular agenda. Susan Collins is standing in the way of national voting rights legislation. The Maine GOP’s platform expressly includes support for laws which would make it harder for Mainers to vote. And the entire party has thrown its weight behind the re-election bid of Paul LePage, a man who explicitly endorsed the use of ‘authoritarian power,' and who has already sought to override the will of Maine voters.
“As Democrats, we must continue to fight not just to ensure free and fair elections, but to win those elections and keep those who would betray our democracy out of power. If we don’t, the failed coup on January 6th may be merely a harbinger of more election subversion plots to come.”
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