34 Days Since the Presidential Election Was Called, New Jersey GOP Candidates Still Putting Party Loyalty Over Protecting Democracy

Over a month has passed since the Associated Press and other national news outlets called the presidential election for Joe Biden, but New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli still refuses to acknowledge President-elect Biden’s win. Ciattarelli even went so far as to headline a “Stop the Steal” rally that made its way to Gov. Phil Murphy’s home, despite having no evidence to back up Republicans’ wild claims of election fraud.

New Jersey Republican Party Chairman Doug Steinhardt, who recently announced he was also running for governor, has taken the same unhinged position as Ciattarelli.

Ciattarelli, Steinhardt, and other New Jersey Republicans’ failure to accept the results of a democratic election and acknowledge reality is dangerous, and could inflict lasting harm on our democracy. It’s also just plain foolish – the Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security determined the 2020 election was the most secure election in American history, and every state has now officially certified their election results, with no reports of widespread voter fraud.

A writer from the Star-Ledger Editorial Board suggested Ciattarellli’s refusal to publicly acknowledge the results of the election is a “fake dance for the GOP base” and that he’s only “pretending.” If that’s true, it makes Ciattarelli’s act even more cowardly, and it shows he’d rather put on a show to score political points than help to restore confidence in our democracy.

Either way, one thing’s for sure – Ciattarelli and Steinhardt are clearly more interested in pledging loyalty to Trump than protecting the integrity of democratic elections.

“Jack Ciattarelli is a coward, and his refusal to acknowledge the results of our presidential election is an affront to democracy,” said DGA Deputy Communications Director Christina Amestoy. “It’s clear both Ciattarelli and Doug Steinhardt care more about upsetting Trump’s base than upholding the integrity of a democratic election. New Jersey Republicans’ attempts to undermine our election results could do lasting damage to American democracy. New Jerseyans deserve a governor who is brave enough to put country over party.“