The bipartisan National Council on Election Integrity — a group of more than 40 former elected officials, former Cabinet secretaries, retired military officials, and civic leaders — issued the following statement in the wake of major news outlets calling the 2020 presidential race for Democrat Joe Biden:
“There is now an apparent winner in the presidential contest. We can all be proud of the manner in which we conducted this election. We had record voter turnout. We had thousands of state and local election officials and volunteers — our friends and neighbors — who worked hard in the middle of a global pandemic to ensure our elections were safe, secure, and transparent. Our nation owes them a debt of gratitude. Over the next few weeks, it is important to remember that we are a nation of laws. And within those laws, any candidate may pursue recounts and other legal recourse. It is also important to remember that in the United States of America, voters determine the winners of elections — and voters had their say. As Republicans, Democrats, and independents, we all need to come together as a nation to take on the challenges before us. That is true today more than ever.”
The full list of members of the National Council on Election Integrity — which includes an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, as well as several retired military leaders and heads of civic organizations — is as follows:
- former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
- former Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA)
- former Amb. Carol Moseley Braun (D-IL)
- former Democratic National Committee Chair Donna Brazile
- former Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D-MO)
- retired Gen. James Cartwright, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff
- former Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats (R-IN)
- former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-VA)
- former Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL)
- former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD)
- former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD)
- former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), president of the American Constitution Society
- former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN)
- former House Majority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-MO)
- former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R-KY)
- former Rep. Steve Gunderson (R-WI)
- former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
- former Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN)
- former Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA)
- former Gov. Bill Haslam (R-TN)
- former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
- National Vote At Home Institute CEO Amber McReynolds
- former Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta (D-CA)
- former Rep. Susan Molinari (R-NY)
- former Amb. Connie Morella (R-MD), co-chair of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus
- National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial
- UnidosUS President and CEO Janet Murguía
- Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, president of the Committee for Economic Development
- former Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC)
- former Rep. David Obey (D-WI)
- retired Adm. Bill Owens, former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
- former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (D-CA)
- former Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH)
- former Rep. Jim Renacci (R-OH)
- former Rep. Reid Ribble (R-WI)
- former Gov. Tom Ridge (R-PA), former Secretary of Homeland Security
- former Amb. Tim Roemer (D-IN), co-chair of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus
- retired Adm. Michael Rogers, former director of the National Security Agency
- former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (D-CO)
- former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Steele
- former Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN), co-chair of Issue One’s ReFormers Caucus
- former Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
- former Sen. Tim Wirth (D-CO)
The National Council on Election Integrity — a bipartisan group of more than 40 government, political, and civic leaders who are devoted to defending the legitimacy of our elections — is a project of Issue One. The National Council on Election Integrity is sponsoring the Count Every Vote campaign to ensure that every American’s vote is counted. See the full list of members of the National Council on Election Security.
