The Democratic Party has long argued that President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept election results that don’t favor him is a threat to American democracy. However, a closer look at the party’s own history reveals a disturbing pattern of election denial and refusal to certify presidential election results.
In recent years, Democratic officials have repeatedly expressed doubts about the legitimacy of Republican presidential victories. In 2022, three Democratic lawmakers – Reps. Jamie Raskin, Jim McGovern, and Jan Schakowsky – made statements that raised questions about their willingness to accept the outcome of the presidential election. Raskin said he would only certify the results if they were “free, fair, and honest,” while McGovern expressed reservations about certifying the election “assuming everything goes the way we expect it to.” Schakowsky added that she would want to “make sure that all the rules have been followed” before committing to accept the results.
These statements are not isolated incidents. The Democratic Party has a long history of refusing to certify presidential election results, dating back to the 2000 election. In 2001, Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) objected to certifying President George Bush’s electoral victory, claiming “overwhelming evidence of official misconduct, deliberate fraud, and an attempt to suppress voter turnout.” However, Hastings provided no evidence to support these claims, and his objections were ultimately rejected.
Fast forward to the 2004 election, and the number of Democrats refusing to certify Bush’s reelection grew. Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee, Maxine Waters, and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) all echoed Hastings’s claims of fraud, again without producing any evidence. The refusal to certify the election results was so widespread that it triggered a two-hour debate in the House of Representatives.
The Democratic Party’s election denialism continued in 2016, with Reps. Barbara Lee and Jim McGovern claiming that “illegal activities engaged by the government of Russia” had compromised the electoral results. These unfounded allegations were rejected by both chambers of Congress, but they did nothing to alleviate concerns about the party’s commitment to democracy.
The Democratic Party’s double standard on election integrity is clear. While they claim that Trump’s refusal to accept election results is a threat to democracy, they have repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to question the legitimacy of Republican presidential victories. It’s time for the party to take a genuine commitment to democracy seriously and accept the results of next week’s election, just as they expect Trump to do.
