Democrat Kendra Horn Backing Impeachment to Protect ‘Our Democracy’

Swing district Democrat Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK) said Tuesday that she will vote for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to protect “our democracy.”

Rep. Horn said Tuesday that the president’s phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky threatened our “national security.” She explained in a statement Tuesday:

It is with a heavy heart, but with clarity of conviction that I have made my decision. The oath I took to protect and defend the Constitution requires a vote for impeachment. This is not a decision I came to lightly, but I must do my part to ensure our democracy remains strong.

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The articles of impeachment before us allege an abuse of power and an obstruction of Congress. Inviting foreign interference in our elections strikes at the heart of our democracy, threatens our national security, and is an abuse of power. It is never acceptable for any president, regardless of party, to ask a foreign country to put their finger on the scale of our democracy. The President obstructed Congress by withholding evidence, refusing to comply with lawful subpoenas, and prohibiting administration officials from doing so as well.

Rep. Horn represents Oklahoma’s fifth congressional district, which is one of the 13 congressional districts that President Trump won during the 2016 presidential election by more than six percent, and House Democrats managed to flip during the 2018 midterm elections.

Rep. Horn barely defeated incumbent Rep. Steve Russell (R-OK) by 1.4 percentage points during the 2018 midterm election.

Donald Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale recently released polling information on Rep. Horn’s district, which found that backing impeachment will imperil her chances of getting reelected.

The poll found that 49 percent of Oklahomans in her district want a new member of Congress representing them, compared to only 37 percent that thinks that Rep. Horn deserves reelection.

The poll found that not only do a majority of Oklahomans in her district disapprove of impeachment; they also want her to ditch impeachment to focus on improving the country.

Fifty-two percent of Americans in her district oppose impeachment, while 45 percent favor impeachment.

The poll also found that if Rep. Horn were to vote to impeach President Trump, 36 percent of citizens in her district said her potential vote for impeachment would make it less likely for them to vote for the congresswoman in 2020, compared to 28 percent that said that they would be more likely to vote for the incumbent Democrat.

Another survey from the American Action Network (AAN) found that 48 percent of those in Rep. Horn’s district said impeachment would make it less likely for them to vote for the freshman congresswoman.

“Protecting and defending our Constitution is about preserving our democracy and systems for generations to come,” Rep. Horn concluded in her statement. “We cannot allow any president of either party to abuse the power of their office or to obstruct Congress. Therefore, we must act to protect our Constitution, the integrity of our elections, and our national security.”