WASHINGTON — Today, Fair Elections Center released the following statement from Robert Brandon, President & CEO, on the assassination and attempted assassination of two Minnesota state legislators and their spouses in Minnesota:
“Our hearts break for the family and loved ones of State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and we remain hopeful for a full recovery of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. We stand with the people of Minnesota, shaken and dismayed by this horrific tragedy, and we pray for the safety of the elected officials currently on precautionary lockdown.
Fueled by hyper-partisanship and the normalization of partisan hate, this extreme act of political violence inflicts another deep wound to our troubled democracy. We condemn this specific manifestation of partisan hatred, as we condemn those who stoke the fires of political violence.
For the sake of a thriving democracy, with just representation, it is intolerable that our elected officials and other public servants should live in fear for their safety and the safety of their families.
It is our deepest hope that this terrible moment be the final stop along that dark path. Let us instead use the tools of democracy—free and fair elections, the right to free expression and debate—to bring our communities together and return our country and our collective future to the path of being a healthy and functioning democracy.”
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Fair Elections Center is a non-partisan organization dedicated to safeguarding the future of our democracy through innovative efforts focused on voting rights and civic engagement. We use advocacy, litigation, organizing, education, and technology to protect and expand the right to vote, understanding the particular impact on disenfranchised, underrepresented, and marginalized communities. Through our unique partnerships with hundreds of campuses across the country, we are able to empower millions of new voters to participate in our democracy. Our litigation and advocacy efforts across dozens of states allows us to anticipate and counteract threats to free and fair elections. With our visionary use of technology we are able to support election administration throughout the nation.
