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America First Secretary of State Coalition

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America First Secretary of State Coalition
AbbreviationAmerica First SOS Coalition
PurposeSupporting candidates in the 2022 United States secretary of state elections
HeadquartersLas Vegas, Nevada
President
Jim Marchant

The America First Secretary of State Coalition ("America First SOS Coalition") was an American right-wing coalition formed to support a slate of candidates in the 2022 United States secretary of state elections who supported former president Donald Trump's baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen. The coalition's president was Jim Marchant, the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Secretary of State of Nevada, and was headquartered in Las Vegas.[1][2]

The coalition endorsed 14 candidates for state secretary of state, as well as Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano,[3] Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, and Ohio congressional candidate Dante Sabatucci. The coalition was financially supported by the affiliated Conservatives for Election Integrity PAC (CFEI PAC).[4][5] Out of the 17 total candidates the coalition endorsed, only 7 candidates advanced past the Republican Party primaries, and just one candidate, Diego Morales, was elected in the 2022 elections.[6]

History and foundation

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The existence of the coalition was first disclosed by Marchant during a conversation on Steve Bannon's podcast, War Room.[7] Marchant had been described as the leading organizer of the coalition.[8][9]

The coalition reportedly formed following a meeting in May 2021 involving Marchant, QAnon conspiracy theorist Wayne Willott, and other conservative activists and fundraisers.[10] Mike Lindell, founder and CEO of My Pillow, Inc., was reportedly a backer of the coalition.[11]

Initial candidates supported by the coalition included Mark Finchem (Arizona), Kristina Karamo (Michigan), and Jody Hice (Georgia), each of whom had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.[12] As of February 2022, Marchant was working to recruit candidates running for secretary of state in both Wisconsin and Minnesota.[13]

Conservatives for Election Integrity PAC (CFEI PAC)

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An affiliated political action committee (PAC), the Conservatives for Election Integrity PAC (CFEI PAC), was founded by Marchant with the goal of fundraising for candidates for secretary of state. According to the Brennan Center, the PAC has raised $110,000 as of May 2022. The America Project, founded by former Overstock.com CEO Patrick M. Byrne, was a prominent contributor to the PAC.[4]

Policy goals and support

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According to The New York Times, the coalition supported eliminating alleged voter fraud through "eliminating mail-in ballots, requiring single-day voting and committing to 'aggressive voter roll cleanup,' measures that critics had suggested would suppress thousands of Democratic votes."[14]

Candidates

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The following is a list of candidates from the America First SOS website.[15] The only candidate who won a general election was Secretary of State of Indiana Diego Morales.

Candidate State Primary date Primary result General result
Audrey Trujillo New Mexico New Mexico June 7, 2022[3][a] Nominated Lost[16]
Doug Mastriano Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (Governor) May 17, 2022[17] Nominated Lost[18]
Kristina Karamo Michigan Michigan April 9, 2022[19][b] Nominated Lost[20]
Mark Finchem Arizona Arizona August 3, 2022[21] Nominated Lost[22]
Michael Brown Kansas Kansas August 2, 2022[23] Lost primary Lost primary[24]
Tina Peters Colorado Colorado June 28, 2022[25] Lost primary Lost primary[26]
Jim Zeigler Alabama Alabama June 21, 2022[27][c] Lost runoff Lost primary[28]
Diego Morales Indiana Indiana June 18, 2022[29][d] Nominated Won[30]
Jim Marchant Nevada Nevada June 14, 2022[31] Nominated Lost[32]
Keith Blanford South Carolina South Carolina June 14, 2022[33] Lost primary Lost primary[34]
Rachel Hamm California California June 7, 2022[35] Lost primary Lost primary[36]
Jody Hice Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia May 24, 2022[37] Lost primary Lost primary[38]
Dorothy Moon Idaho Idaho May 17, 2022[39] Lost primary Lost primary[40]
Robert Borer Nebraska Nebraska May 10, 2022[41] Lost primary Lost primary[42]
Jay Schroeder Wisconsin Wisconsin August 9, 2022[43] Lost primary Lost primary[44]
Dante Sabatucci Ohio Ohio (13th congressional district) May 3, 2022[45] Lost primary Lost primary[46]
Kari Lake Arizona Arizona (Governor) August 2, 2022[47] Nominated Lost[48]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Had no primary opposition.
  2. ^ Nominee was chosen at party convention
  3. ^ Runoff election
  4. ^ Nominee was chosen at party convention

References

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  1. ^ "America First Secretary of State Coalition". America First Secretary of State Coalition. November 26, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2022. The PAC President, Jim Marchant has been fighting voter fraud in Nevada since 2004, first, as a successful tech businessman, then as a Nevada State Assemblyman and most recently as the President Trump endorsed Republican candidate for Congressional District Four in the 2020 election. Jim is convinced he only lost because of election fraud and widespread election irregularities.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Contact - America First Secretary of State Coalition". America First Secretary of State Coalition. November 26, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2022. 848 N. Rainbow Blvd. #464 Las Vegas, NV 89107
  3. ^ a b Berzon, Alexandra (June 5, 2022). "In Races to Run Elections, Candidates Are Backed by Key 2020 Deniers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Vandewalker, Ian; Kornberg, Maya. "Financing of Races for Offices that Oversee Elections: May 2022 | Brennan Center for Justice". Brennan Center for Justice. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  5. ^ "Home - Conservatives for Election Integrity PAC". Conservatives for Election Integrity PAC. November 26, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2022. The all-day strategy session proved to be so successful in creating the Coalition of Constitutional Conservative SOS Candidates and a nationwide campaign model that a fundraising platform for this coalition was created. Funds received through our Political PAC (Conservatives for Election Integrity PAC) will go to support and sustain the real-time, real-world outcomes that were agreed upon on May 1st and are embodied in the PAC's three-point mission statement.
  6. ^ Corasaniti, Nick (November 13, 2022). "Voters Reject Election Deniers Running to Take Over Elections". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022. With Mr. Marchant's loss to Mr. Aguilar, all but one of those "America First" candidates were defeated. Only Diego Morales, a Republican in deep-red Indiana, was successful, while candidates in Michigan, Arizona and New Mexico were defeated.
  7. ^ Pilkington, Ed (January 13, 2022). "Trump loyalists form alliance in bid to take over election process in key states". The Guardian. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  8. ^ Cassidy, Christina A.; Carr Smyth, Julie (March 31, 2022). "Election Skeptics Roil GOP Contests for Secretary of State". U.S. News & World Report.
  9. ^ Harper, Steven (April 15, 2022). "Opinion | November 2022: The Anti-Democracy Coalition". Common Dreams. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  10. ^ Sommer, Will (June 1, 2022). "This QAnon Leader Could Control Key Elections in 2024". The Daily Beast. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  11. ^ Solis, Jacob (May 24, 2022). "Elections and 'Big Lie' come to the fore in secretary of state primaries". The Nevada Independent. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  12. ^ Montgomery, David (February 28, 2022). "Who Wants to be a State Secretary of State? Everyone". Washington Post.
  13. ^ Shoaib, Alia. "Election-denying Trump loyalists are running for obscure offices to influence future elections in battleground states". Business Insider. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  14. ^ McQuade, Barbara (May 12, 2022). "Opinion | The Most Pivotal Elections in 2022 Are Not the Ones You Think". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  15. ^ "Candidates - America First Secretary of State Coalition". americafirstsos.com. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  16. ^ "New Mexico Secretary of State Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022. Maggie Toulouse Oliver, Democrat, wins the secretary of state race in New Mexico.
  17. ^ Epstein, Reid J. (May 17, 2022). "Doug Mastriano, a far-right 2020 election denier, is Pennsylvania Republicans' choice for governor". The New York Times. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  18. ^ "Pennsylvania Governor Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022. Josh Shapiro, Democrat, wins the governor's race in Pennsylvania.
  19. ^ "Michigan GOP picks Trump-backed candidates Kristina Karamo and Matt DePerno for state attorney general and secretary of state nominations". www.cbsnews.com. April 23, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  20. ^ "Michigan Secretary of State Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022. Jocelyn Benson, Democrat, wins the secretary of state race in Michigan.
  21. ^ Pedrosa, Camila (April 25, 2022). "Group plans appeal in effort to keep Biggs, Gosar, Finchem off ballot". Arizona PBS. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  22. ^ "Arizona Secretary of State Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022. Adrian Fontes, Democrat, wins the secretary of state race in Arizona.
  23. ^ Carpenter, Tim (May 23, 2022). "Secretary of state weary of fact-averse out-of-staters who insult Kansas election system". Kansas Reflector. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  24. ^ "Kansas Secretary of State Primary Election Results". The New York Times. August 2, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022. Scott Schwab wins the Republican primary.
  25. ^ "Colorado's secretary of state's race tests Republicans' embrace of election conspiracies". The Colorado Sun. May 13, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  26. ^ "Colorado Secretary of State Primary Election Results". The New York Times. June 28, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022. Pam Anderson wins the Republican primary.
  27. ^ "Runoff likely in Alabama secretary of state race". WSFA. May 25, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  28. ^ "Alabama Secretary of State Runoff Election Results". The New York Times. June 21, 2022. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022. Wes Allen wins the Republican primary runoff.
  29. ^ "Here's why secretary of state, auditor and treasurer are not on the primary ballot". WTHR. May 3, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  30. ^ "Indiana Secretary of State Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022. Diego Morales, Republican, wins the secretary of state race in Indiana.
  31. ^ "2022 Nevada Election Calendar". Nevada Secretary of State. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  32. ^ "Nevada Secretary of State Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2022. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022. Francisco Aguilar, Democrat, wins the secretary of state race in Nevada.
  33. ^ "2022 voter guide: Who's running for governor of South Carolina". The Greenville News. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  34. ^ "South Carolina Secretary of State Primary Election Results". The New York Times. June 14, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022. Mark Hammond wins the Republican primary.
  35. ^ "Primary Election - June 7, 2022". Archived from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  36. ^ "California Secretary of State Primary Election Results". The New York Times. June 7, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  37. ^ "Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger beats Trump ally". AP NEWS. May 24, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  38. ^ "Georgia Secretary of State Primary Election Results". The New York Times. May 24, 2022. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022. Brad Raffensperger wins the Republican primary.
  39. ^ "McGrane wins close GOP race for Idaho Secretary of State". ktvb.com. May 17, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  40. ^ "Idaho Secretary of State Primary Election Results". The New York Times. May 17, 2022. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022. Phil McGrane wins the Republican primary.
  41. ^ "Nebraska Secretary of State - Election Night Results - May 10th, 2022". Nebraska.gov. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  42. ^ "Nebraska Secretary of State Primary Election Results". The New York Times. May 10, 2022. Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022. Bob Evnen wins the Republican primary.
  43. ^ "Wisconsin Other Republican Primary Results | The Register-Guard". The Register-Guard. December 1, 2022. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  44. ^ "Wisconsin Secretary of State Primary Election Results". The New York Times. August 9, 2022. Archived from the original on November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022. Amy Loudenbeck wins the Republican primary.
  45. ^ "House District 13: Ohio Primary Results". CNN. December 1, 2022. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  46. ^ "Ohio 13th Congressional District Primary Election Results 2022". The New York Times. May 13, 2022. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022. Madison Gesiotto Gilbert wins the Republican primary.
  47. ^ "Arizona Governor Election Results 2022: Hobbs Defeats Lake". The New York Times. December 1, 2022. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  48. ^ Singh, Maanvi (November 14, 2022). "Katie Hobbs defeats election denier Kari Lake in Arizona governor race | US midterm elections 2022 | The Guardian". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 15, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022. The Democratic candidate for governor in Arizona, Katie Hobbs, has defeated her far-right, Trump-endorsed opponent, staving off a major threat to voting rights in the state. Hobbs, who is Arizona's outgoing secretary of state, defeated Kari Lake...
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