Nov. 13 (UPI) — Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump moving back into the White House, Democratic Govs. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Jared Polis of Colorado on Wednesday announced the launch of a nonpartisan coalition of governors aimed at protecting state-level democratic institutions.
Chaired by Pritzker and Polis, the Governors Safeguarding Democracy seeks to fortify democratic institutions in states, the coalition said in a statement.
Through designing and implementing strategies, the coalition will seek to protect the rule of law, executive agencies, elections, state courts and other democratic bodies. It will also develop what it calls “playbooks” that governors can use “to anticipate and swiftly respond to emerging threats,” it said.
“At this critical moment in our history, we must unite to protect the foundations of our democracy and ensure our institutions withstand threats and persevere in their mission to improve the lives of our people,” the pair of Democratic governors said.
“Governors Safeguarding Democracy will serve as a powerful force in state-level efforts to ensure that our democracy lives up to our ideals and thrives for generations to come.”
Though labeled as “nonpartisan” and without mention of either party, it states that the coalition was founded as the United States faces increasing threats against democracy, “including the dangers of authoritarianism and the undermining of democratic institutions.”
“In this moment, protecting democracy has never been more relevant or important, and doing so demands strong leadership at the state level,” the governors said.
The announcement came as Trump has been nominating loyalists to key Cabinet positions that have attracted criticism, as some of those he has named have been described as unqualified, including his pick for secretary of Defense, Fox News host Pete Hegseth.
“Last time, he didn’t really know where the levers of government were. I think he probably does now. And so I think that the threat remains great,” Pritzker told The New York Times.
Trump, who beat Vice President Kamala Harris in this month’s presidential election, is to take office Jan. 20.
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