WASHINGTON — A group of Democratic strategists is launching a new super PAC aimed at supporting the party’s legal efforts to protect elections and potential fights after Election Day.
The group expects former President Donald Trump and his allies to repeat their sweeping efforts to undermine confidence in the election before Nov. 5 and then seek to overturn the results by challenging ballots and in court in the days and weeks after the vote. .
The new group, which can raise and spend unlimited money, is called Defenders of Democracy and will be chaired by Jim Messina, who served as campaign manager for President Barack Obama’s successful 2012 re-election campaign.
Norm Eisen, a longtime Democratic attorney who served as counsel to the House Judiciary Committee during Trump’s first impeachment, will serve as outside counsel.
TJ Ducklo, who worked for President Joe Biden in 2020 and 2024, is now stepping down from the Harris campaign to serve as the PAC’s chief strategist.
Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, a close ally of former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, will serve as the PAC’s general counsel.
The group says it will work in coordination with state parties and other allied groups to oppose what it calls an “unprecedented attack by Donald Trump and his allies to undermine the basic right of the American people to vote.”
“We’re not messing with it — there’s too much going on, and we’ve seen what Trump is capable of when he loses a fair and square election,” Messina said in a statement. “We will step up and provide resources directly to state parties and allies on the ground to make sure every American can cast their vote with confidence and without interference.”
The PAC’s work will begin with an initial $10 million budget for both legal work and public messaging efforts, with plans for additional funding to begin by the fall. The goal is to allow the Harris campaign and other Democratic party leaders and campaigns to prioritize their resources on engaging and persuading voters, especially when it comes to paid media, especially in down-ballot races.
Democrats have launched an unprecedented voter protection effort in the 2020 campaign aimed at ensuring Americans can still have easy access to the ballot despite a major public health crisis. These and other efforts now taking shape stem from fears that Republicans are more prepared to take legal action before, during and after the vote to potentially challenge the results than they were four years ago.
“The threat to American democracy has intensified since Donald Trump incited a violent mob nearly four years ago to stop the peaceful transfer of power. Trump and his allies are already trying to undermine our basic right to vote as Americans and have our votes fairly counted,” Messina said.
PAC officials say they plan to continue after Inauguration Day with a mission to support small-scale Democratic initiatives, helping efforts against “bad actors” who would try to cast doubt on the results after Election Day.