A Foiled Coup

The midterm elections were a victory for U.S. democracy. A different outcome would have resulted in conspiracy theorists gaining a dangerous level of influence.

Less than a week after the midterms in the U.S., the results are looking surprisingly positive for President Joe Biden and his Democrats, who defended their majority in the Senate and contained their losses in the House of Representatives. However, what is most important is that they averted the threat of an administrative coup in 2024.

As crazy as this idea sounds, this was a real risk. In the crucial swing states of Michigan, Arizona and Nevada, radical far right conspiracy theorists who dispute the outcome of the last presidential election were candidates for secretary of state, a role that involves responsibility for how elections are run. You don’t need much imagination to envision what these individuals would have done had Donald Trump called and asked them to find a few thousand votes. All three election deniers lost in the midterms.

That is a success for their Democratic opponents. Above all, however, it is an important victory for U.S. democracy.