Joanna Lydgate
@joannalydgate.bsky.social
Protecting democracy like it’s my job. No really, CEO @statesunited.org & @statesunitedaction.bsky.social I Former Chief Deputy AG at Mass AGO (she/her)
Where do Americans stand on democracy and the rule of law? The @statesunited.org team just launched the Polling Hub—four years of polling, searchable in one place. https://pollinghub.statesunited.org/
Polling Hub
Polling from States United and YouGov on elections, democracy, and the rule of law. Search surveys, questions, and trends.
pollinghub.statesunited.org
States run elections in this country—and today the Supreme Court reaffirmed it. SCOTUS upheld state laws establishing grace periods for mail ballots. State and local officials know what policies work best for their voters. https://statesunited.org/press-release-watson-v-rnc/
States United Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Confirming States’ Right to Set Mail-Ballot Grace Periods - States United Democracy Center
States run elections in this country—and state and local officials know what policies work best for their people.
statesunited.org
Remarkable interview with a remarkable lawyer, Janai Nelson open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
Janai Nelson, The Lawyer Who Argued The Callais Gerrymandering Case
Every Tuesday, I co-host the Insider podcast on the Stay Tuned with Preet channel here on Substack, with my former US Attorney colleague Preet Bharara, who many of you already know.
open.substack.com
On #NationalNursesDay, and every day, we thank the brave nurses who keep us safe. Nurses stand on the frontline, risking their own health and safety, to protect New Yorkers. We are forever grateful for everything they do.
NEW 2026 data from our research team @statesunitedaction.bsky.social shows Election Deniers on the ballot in at least half the country for statewide and congressional races so far. Voters deserve to see the full picture. ElectionDeniers.org makes that possible
NEW >> States United Action has launched its 2026 tracking of Election Deniers running for statewide and congressional office. The latest data finds Election Deniers on the ballot in at least half the states across the country. statesunited.org/press-releas...
Justice Kagan warned: the Voting Rights Act is now “all but a dead letter.” States can dilute minority voting power by calling it “partisanship.” This is happening in plain sight. Vote like your rights depend on it. They do.
Today, the Supreme Court further gutted a major protection against racially discriminatory election practices, making it harder to challenge unfair redistricting under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.🧵 Read our statement regarding the ruling: statesunited.org/press-releas...
The Constitution gives states—not the federal government—the power to run elections. That safeguard is by design. It means no one person can control the system. As @joannalydgate.bsky.social put it, "Trump can’t do everything, everywhere, all at once.” www.wbur.org/news/2026/04...
This shoddy indictment seeks to silence those who would hold the Trump Admin accountable. The FBI regularly uses these same tactics in their own work. This is a clear abuse of power that puts our democracy at risk. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
DOJ charges Southern Poverty Law Center over paid informants
The civil rights group is being investigated over how it has sought to infiltrate extremist groups, its CEO says, adding that it “will not be intimidated.”
washingtonpost.com
NEW >> States United, @protectdemocracy.org, & @vetvoicefoundation.bsky.social file second amicus brief on behalf of 73 retired national security leaders, urging an appeals court to uphold First Amendment protections for Navy veteran Sen. @captmarkkelly.bsky.social. statesunited.org/press-releas...
HUGE NEWS out of California >> John Eastman has been DISBARRED for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. @statesunited.org has led the charge to hold Eastman accountable since 2021, and this is a clear and pointed reminder that no one is above the law. thehill.com/homenews/583...
John Eastman disbarred in California over efforts to overturn 2020 election
John Eastman, a lawyer who spearheaded efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in President Trump’s favor, has been formally disbarred in California The California S…
thehill.com
BREAKING >> The California Supreme Court has officially disbarred John Eastman, a key architect of President Trump’s unlawful plan to overturn the results of the 2020 election. statesunited.org/eastman-ca-d...
Lies about elections undermine public trust, but they can also be weaponized against our election system. This new report from @statesunited.org shows how baseless claims published by an election skeptic eventually led to a Trump admin raid against a local election office.
States United Democracy Center@statesunited.org · 4mo agoMUST READ >> Election experts Ryan Germany, Justin Grimmer, & Stephen Richer release BRAND NEW REPORT with States United combatting 26 baseless claims that led to the Trump Admin’s raid of a Georgia election office earlier this year. www.statesunited.org/fulton-county-report
There are so many people fighting the good fight against election denial, but I'm especially grateful to leaders like Stephen Richer who understand that protecting our democracy means putting country over party. Upholding the Constitution isn't political -- it's patriotic.
States United Democracy Center@statesunited.org · 4mo ago📺 WEEKEND RECAP >> States United Advisory Board member Stephen Richer joined ABC News' This Week to talk about President Trump's latest efforts to undermine 2020 election results, and to preview a NEW REPORT from experts on the Trump admin's baseless actions in Fulton County, GA.
If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: States are on the frontlines of defending our democracy. State AGs, Secretaries of State, and Governors lost no time taking Trump's illegal executive order to court this week. They will protect our elections.
States United Democracy Center@statesunited.org · 4mo agoBREAKING NEWS >> 24 States — led by California, Massachusetts, Nevada, & Washington — have sued the Trump Administration for its illegal elections and mail-in voting Executive Order, which would seize Constitutionally-protected powers from the states. www.nvsos.gov/Home/Compone...
Targeting lawyers for doing their jobs threatens the rule of law — and our democracy. Proud to have @statesunited.org filing this brief on behalf of leading experts in this space.
States United Democracy Center@statesunited.org · 4mo agoBREAKING >> States United files NEW amicus brief on behalf of leading democracy experts who warn that the political motivations behind executive orders targeting law firms is characteristic of democratic backsliding and a threat to the rule of law. https://bit.ly/48gSFVJ
States run elections, not the President. In a new op-ed for @time.com, @votingrightslab.bsky.social's Samantha Tarazi and I break down how Trump is trying to change that – and why he won't succeed. time.com/article/2026...
Trump Is Trying to Nationalize Elections. States Won’t Let Him
"State and local officials are holding the line against federal overreach," write Joanna Lydgate and Samantha Tarazi.
time.com
President Trump's actions are increasingly desperate, as he tries to once again grab election powers for himself. Americans don't want the president more involved in elections, and states are ready to fight this illegal overreach. statesunited.org/elections-ex...
States United Statement: March 2026 Elections Executive Order - States United Democracy Center
statesunited.org
ACLU Legal Director Cecillia Wang will appear before the Supreme Court this week to fight against ending birthright citizenship. She credits changes in federal immigration law in the 1960s for providing her family a path to succeed.
Daughter of immigrants brings history to bear in fight for birthright citizenship
Cecillia Wang was born in Oregon after her parents left Taiwan. That path has animated her work over two decades at the ACLU and will inform her case at the Supreme Court.
washingtonpost.com
Since its founding, @statesunited.org has been at the forefront of fighting election denial. Grateful to journalists like Alan Feuer, @nytnickc.bsky.social, and Alexandra Berzon for keeping focus on how election deniers have infiltrated the federal government. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Where Trump Has Installed 2020 Election Deniers in Government
His administration is stocked with people who have questioned the legitimacy of elections, including some who have claimed that the 2020 presidential race was stolen.
nytimes.com
Five outstanding female lawyers will be honored with the 2026 Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award. Learn more about them and their important work: https://bit.ly/4bOnByK
The American people deserve thorough and transparent investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good — and assigning a DOJ employment attorney instead of a civil rights attorney experienced in excessive force cases is anything but. www.cbsnews.com/news/doj-civ...
DOJ's Alex Pretti shooting probe excludes prosecutors who specialize in civil rights cases, sources say
Rank-and-file career prosecutors in the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division cases are not involved in investigating Alex Pretti's shooting death by federal agents, CBS News has learned, in a st...
cbsnews.com
Did you know 80% of the people who run our free, fair, and secure elections are women?! They’re the backbone of our democracy – steady, focused, and always landing under pressure. 🥇 #WHM
Every March, we celebrate the women moving Massachusetts forward — in classrooms, labs, businesses, on the playing field, and in government. Let’s make sure every girl in our state knows there's no limit to what she can achieve. Happy Women's History Month!
It's depressing to see Trump turn the Olympics into a political sideshow. Posting a meme of himself scoring a hockey goal, using the men’s team as ploys in the SOTU is frustrating, especially after the flippant remarks he made about the women’s USA hockey team whose record is better than the men's.
In Massachusetts, I'm going to keep working hard every day to lower the cost of housing, energy and health care — and I’ll continue to oppose these tariffs in the strongest possible terms.
Today the Supreme Court made clear that President Trump can't unilaterally seize power. Every person who holds public office — and every branch of government at the federal, state, and local levels — answers to the U.S. Constitution.
States United Democracy Center@statesunited.org · 6mo agoBREAKING NEWS >> The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of 12 State AGs, who led the charge against President Trump’s illegal tariffs. The 6-3 decision affirmed that the power of taxation lives primarily with Congress, and not the president. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Rev. Jesse Jackson was a giant in the fight for civil rights, economic justice and human dignity. He empowered people to see — and use — their collective strength. May we honor his legacy by continuing to build a more just, inclusive future. Sending love to the Jackson family.
NBC News@nbcnews.com · 6mo agoBREAKING: Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon and two-time presidential candidate, dies at 84.
🎧 LISTEN NOW >> @joannalydgate.bsky.social & Utah First Lady Abby Spencer Cox joined the Pantsuit Politics podcast to discuss political violence in America, and how we can come together to find common ground and bipartisan solutions. omny.fm/shows/pantsu...
When the Pitchforks Come for You - Pantsuit Politics
When every moment could become viral fodder, what's the cost of just living your life? Sarah and Beth examine several recent news stories that address this question of privacy and surveillance. Plus, ...
omny.fm