Nearly 300 local officials across U.S. support Trump's election lies. Here's what you can do about it.

After years of investigation, American Doom reveals nearly 300 local election denial officials in 11 states.

Update Oct. 1, 2026 - I’ve added on election denier to the list of county election board members in North Carolina, Jay DeLancy.

Update Nov. 3, 2024 - With new research from Informing Democracy, the number of local officials who have expressed skepticism over election security, outright supported Donald Trump’s lies about elections, or have otherwise expressed election denier sentiment is now at nearly 300 people. Informing Democracy looked at more than just members of county election and canvassing boards, so not all of the people on this list will have direct oversight of election administration. Forgive me for running out of time and not providing links to every single official, but for the ones without links, you can view their profiles here. - jg

Update Oct. 29, 2024 - With today’s story at Rolling Stone and accompanying research from the Center for Media and Democracy, the number of county officials who believe Donald Trump’s election lies has climbed to over 100. More updates to follow. - jg

ORIGINAL POST, AUG. 13, 2024 - Last week, the Georgia State Election Board rammed through changes to state election rules that will likely result in chaos benefiting Donald Trump. It’s part of a larger pattern of election officials across the country enacting policies and engaging in behavior that is based on — and supports — Trump’s false claims of widespread election fraud. 

Put another way: Republican election officials nationwide are engaged in an effort to call November’s results into question before a single vote has been cast. 

These efforts are concerning for those who care about the health of democracy and the free and fair elections that are supposed to come with it. That concern was expressed to me in voluminous form following my story on local election denial officials here and at Rolling Stone. In the wake of that story, I’ve been inundated with questions and comments about what exactly all of this means, how it can be stopped, and what these officials plan to do. So I thought I’d do my best to answer some of those questions while also providing a list of the 99 local election denial officials I’ve discovered in the last four years. 

Most editions of American Doom are free, but the list of these 99 officials at the end of this post is behind a paywall. That’s because it’s the result of four years of investigation — research that no other publication has taken the time to conduct in as comprehensive a manner as I have here at American Doom. If you want to support my efforts to expose local election denial officials, far-right extremists and other threats to democracy, you can subscribe to American Doom for as little as $5 a month. Paid subscribers in the U.S. are eligible to receive a limited-edition “American Doom 2024” sticker.

Now, let’s discuss the local election officials who believe in Trump’s election lies — and who are at work in states across the country.

Who are these officials?

American Doom has spent the last six months scouring local and national media reports, public databases of election deniers and, most importantly, social media to construct our list of local election denial officials. (That’s on top of my work, which began in the immediate aftermath of the 2020 election, of documenting these officials in Georgia and elsewhere.) What we found were nearly 70 officials who work in local elections in six swing states — this typically means county election boards — who have expressed election denier beliefs online or have engaged in denier activity, like refusing to certify election results. 

We have defined “election deniers” as officials who believe and support lies about the 2020 election, have questioned results of subsequent and future elections, and have implemented policies based on falsehoods and conspiracies about widespread voter fraud that even conservative groups have said does not exist.

We searched for these officials in key counties within the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. We did not look at every county within those states, although in some of those states, like Georgia, we did go beyond the scope of pivot counties, primarily because I’ve been investigating election denial officials here in Georgia for the last four years. (Another 30 election deniers are at work in Mississippi and Arkansas.) 

This means that the list at the center of the Rolling Stone story from last week is just “the tip of the iceberg,” as Democratic lawyer Marc Elias put it. 

Dozens more officials in our target counties were on the cusp of being election deniers, but we just couldn’t confirm their exact beliefs through open source research, or because they didn’t have social media accounts we could identify. There are likely hundreds more officials who qualify as election deniers in the 19 states that have local election administration, but with just two of us performing the research, we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of this investigation. 

How do you know they’re election deniers?

While many of the officials on our list were included because of statements they made online, at least 22 of them made the list because they refused or delayed the certification of election results. This is an obvious election denier tactic. In each of those cases — which amount to at least 25 attempts to deny or delay certification since 2020 — the refusal to certify came under the guise of investigating election fraud, and was carried out by Republicans. In the context of the last four years and heading into November, certification refusal can be considered an act of election denialism.

Certification refusal does not mean throwing out votes

Elias’ Democracy Docket has a good explainer on the issue of certification that I encourage everyone to read. For the most part, courts have refused to uphold certification refusal in recent years, but as I wrote at Rolling Stone this isn’t necessarily the point. By refusing to certify results based on bogus fraud claims, local election officials are giving credibility to those claims. That credibility can then be used for lawsuits filed by Republicans claiming fraud in November. We know this is a tactic that will probably be used because the Trump White House used it in 2020. 

Then, election denier lawyers working for Trump floated the idea of seizing voting machines to prove fraud. In a never-issued executive order, the seizure of voting machines was backed up by citing a refusal to certify election results in Coffee County, Georgia. 

Certification refusal is still dangerous

Despite court rulings in recent years against certification refusal, the tactic is still dangerous for two reasons. First, if, as Elias speculated, there are mass refusals to certify in November, the issue could get tied up in court, possibly holding up vote counts for pivot counties and swing states that are vital to determining the next president. After that, if these court battles go as high as the Supreme Court, ruled as it is by justices sympathetic to Trump’s authoritarian interpretation of the presidency, I think we know how that will play out.

The other reason that certification is dangerous is because the credibility it gives to false claims of widespread voter fraud will be seized upon by the right. These claims will spread like a virus, further enraging many Americans who already hold false beliefs about the 2020 election. Mass refusals to certify will inherently increase the chances of extremist actors committing political violence. 

What can be done?

The question that has been posed to me more than any other in recent days is what people can do about all these election denial officials. The answer, unfortunately, is not much. In most of the states in our investigation local election officials are appointed by local political parties. They can’t simply be voted out of office. (In some states, like Mississippi, these county election board members are elected. Some states assign election administration duties to elected county commissioners, like in Nevada and Arizona.) However, even appointed election officials must hold public meetings. Concerned citizens do have the ability to attend these meetings and voice their displeasure at the comments made by some of the officials on our list, or the actions they’ve taken. 

Further, attending meetings will allow citizens to monitor policies being implemented by local election boards and actions they take. These boards hear challenges to remove voters from voter rolls. They have the power to open or close precinct locations. They adjudicate ballots that are unclear as to what candidate a voter has chosen (usually through vote review panels, which are staffed by volunteers). Most importantly, county election boards certify results. Times vary, but counties must begin certifying local election results within a week of the presidential election on Nov. 5. In some places, they have up to a month. (Certification deadlines are listed here.) 

So, the first county election board after the presidential election would be a good one to attend, because in many places that’s when these local officials will have to vote to certify — or not — the results in their counties. But beware: since 2020, many attendees of election board meetings are supporters of Trump’s election lies.

***

Below is a running list of local election officials who have been identified by American Doom as election deniers. The methodology behind this research is explained in the July 29, 2024 American Doom and Rolling Stone pieces showing nearly 70 election deniers working as local election officials in six swing states. Below are those officials as well as others in the non-swing states of Arkansas, Colorado, Mississippi and New Mexico. Research remains ongoing for Wisconsin, where we’ve found a lone election denial official. Research remains ongoing in the six swing states and many others.

This list is not complete and will be updated as new officials are discovered or are replaced on their local election bodies. I have compiled this list over the last four years based on media reports, databases of election deniers like Public Wise’s Election Threat Index, and my own research of the social media profiles of hundreds of election denial officials across the country.

Click on the name of an election denier to view evidence of their beliefs and actions based on falsehoods related to elections. Please credit Justin Glawe and American Doom when sharing this list. It has taken years to complete.

To support our efforts to expose local election denier officials, subscribe to American Doom for as little as $5 a month.

Arizona

• Bob Bartelsmeyer, La Paz County

• David W. Stevens, Cochise County

• Peggy Judd, Cochise County

• Tom Crosby, Cochise County 

• Ron Gould, Mohave County 

• Steve Christy, Pima County 

• Steve Christensen, Gila County

• Kevin Cavanaugh, Pinal County

• Hildy Angius, Mohave County 

• Travis Lingenfelter, Mohave County

• Mary Mallory, Yavapai County

• James Gregory, Yavapai County

• Harry Oberg, Yavapai County

• Craig Brown, Yavapai County

• Jeff Serdy, Pinal County

• Mike Goodman, Pinal County

• Clay Mack, Graham County

Arkansas

• Cassandra Coben, Scott County

• Stan Ferguson, Prairie County

• Jeff McDonald, Woodruff County

• Michael Adam, Jefferson County

• Phil Terrell, Pike County

• Barbara Templeman, Scott County

• Jim Estes, Washington County

• Stanley Brown, Poinsett County

• Brandon Barrington, Hempstead County

• Tom Sibert, Lincoln County

• Paulette Yarbrough, Cleburne County

• Taunia Hilborn, Hot Spring County

• David Delvecchio, Izard County

• Michael Eugene Bradley, Lawrence County

• Judy Verkler, Lawrence County

• Carol Beavers, Van Buren County

• April Neill, Carrolton County

Colorado

• Theresa Watson, Boulder County

• Shelli Shaw, La Plata County

• Candice Stutzriem, El Paso County

• Nancy Pallozzi, Jefferson County

Georgia 

• Drew Chestnutt, Worth County

• Ben Johnson, Spalding County

• Roy McClain, Spalding County

• Kim Slaughter, Spalding County

• Larry Brown, Pickens County

• Dottie Krull, Lumpkin County

• Larry Ewing, Jackson County

• Jeff Hughes, Jackson County

• Alice O'Lenick, Gwinnett County

• Bridget Thorne, Fulton County

• Julie Adams, Fulton County

• Michael Heekin, Fulton County

• Gary Stamper, Floyd County

• Anthony Lewis, DeKalb County

• Nancy Jester, DeKalb County

• Debbie Fisher, Cobb County

• John Wallace, Cherokee County

• Larry Hand, Cherokee County

• Ann Dover, Cherokee County

• Jeffrey Vance, Carroll County

• David Hancock, Gwinnett County

• Sharlene Alexander, Fayette County

• Robert Abbott, Bibb County

• Nancy Gay, Columbia County

• Wanda Duffie, Columbia County

• Christopher Channell, Glynn County

• Damon Walker, Gordon County

• Johnny Varner, Hall County

• Jack Noa, Hall County

• Christina Loop, Jackson County

• Larry Yorgason, Jackson County

• Cersha Snell, Long County

• Elenore Gale, McIntosh County

• U.D. Roberts, Muscogee County

• Amber Green, Rockdale County

• William Stump, Troup County

Michigan 

• Ann Weiler, Bay County

• Anne Hill, Clinton County

• Bonnie Kellogg, Muskegon County

• Stephanie Scott, Hillsdale County

• Minde Lux, Isabella County

• Bonnie Hakkola, Delta County

• LeeAnn Oman, Delta County 

• Robert Froman, Kalamazoo County

• Jeffrey Dobbs, Alcona County

• Jaynee Germond, Alcona County

• Steve McNeal, Allegan County

• Bob Genetski, Allegan County

• Darlene Alexander, Alpena County

• Cherie Hogan, Antrim County

• Victoria Betit, Barry County

• Maureen Jennot, Benzie County

• Gary.Gielczyck, Benzie County

• Ginger Kamps, Calhoun County

• Bonnie Kazmar, Calhoun County

• Asuka Barden, Charlevoix County

• April Raycraft, Charlevoix County

• Diane Possamai, Chippewa County

• Elizabeth Kindermann, Clare County

• Pamela Trask, Dickinson County

• Carlene Kavelaris, Dickinson County

• Jim Kargol, Emmet County

• Chuck Murphy, Gratlot County

• Lawrence T. Peter, Hillsdale County

• Sharon Foix, Houghton County

• Kelly Demin, Huron County

• Marcy Jankovich, Jackson County

• Tony Lorentz, Kalamazoo County

• Patty Cox, Kalkaska County

• Deborah Hill, Kalkaska County

• Marty Walker, Lake County

• Carol Brown, Lapeer County

• Judy Teichert, Leelanau County

• Mary Lynn Swiderski, Mackinac County

• Nancy Tiseo, Macomb County

• Doreen Takalo, Marquette County

• Michelle Kuikstra, Newaygo County

• Kristine DeTroyer, Ogemaw County

• Janet Flint, Otsego County

• Michele Freske, Presque Isle County

• Wendy Guertin-Nord, Schoolcraft County

• Theresa Grase, Shiawassee County

• Deem Boldyreff, St. Clair County

• Barry Mugridge, St. Clair County

• Isaac White, Tuscola County

• Doug Lagos, Tuscola County

• Corinne Mowrey, Wexford County

Mississippi

• Barbara Kimball, Harrison County

• Janet Mayo, Perry County

• Lester Bacon, Lawrence County

• Dolores Wooten, Tate County

• Steven Johnson, Itawamba County

• Michelle Blackwell, Jones County

• Bobby McDaniel, Alcorn County

• Jim Jackson, Lee County

• Lowell Worthey, Monroe County

• Jane James, Lincoln County

• Matthew Lamb, George County

• Hilda Peeler, Franklin County

Nevada

• Debra Strickland, Nye County

• Jeanne Herman, Washoe County 

• Michael Clark, Washoe County 

• Danny Tarkanian, Douglas County

• Walt Nowosad, Douglas County

• Wesley Rice, Douglas County

• Rex Steninger, Elko

• Travis Gerber, Elko

• Wilde Brough, Elko

• Delon "De" Winsor, Esmeralda

• Kathy Bowling, Eureka

• Patsy Waits, Lander

• Bryan Sparks, Lander

• Wallace "JR" Thomas, Lander

• Kathleen Ancho, Lander

• Varlin Higbee, Lincoln

• Dave Hockaday, Lyon

• Staci Lindbery, Lyon

• Wes Henderson, Lyon

• Tammy Hendrix, Lyon

• Frank Carbone, Nye

• Bruce Jabbour, Nye

• Donna Cox, Nye

• Lance Gilman, Storey

• Clay Mitchell, Storey

• Jim Hindle, Storey

• Jay Carmona, Storey

New Mexico

• Jay Block, Sandoval County

North Carolina

• John Adams, Burke County

• Byron Waters, Halifax County

• Anthony Iovino, Burke County

• Elizabeth McDowell, Mecklenburg County

• Mary Summa, Mecklenburg County

• Tim DeHaan, Surry County

• Jerry Forestieri, Surry County

• Kelly Newton, Anson

• Michael Aycock, Bladen

• Emery White, Bladen

• Stuart Smith, Brunswick

• Grant "Randy" Pelton, Brunswick

• Sandra "Sandi" Walker, Burke

• William "Bill" Stone, Caldwell

• Phil Ingle, Caldwell

• Tommy Luckadoo, Catawamba

• Allan "Bob" Tyson, Chatham

• Frank Dunphy II, Chatham

• James Davis, Clay

• Lynn Fairfax, Columbus

• Audrey "Lynne" Thompson, Columbus

• Matthew Schwob, Craven

• Linda Devore, Cumberland

• James Baker, Cumberland

• Adam Draper, Forsyth

• Chad Doomy, Forsyth

• Angela Pearce, Franklin

• Trudy Schmidt, Haywood

• Linda Rebuck, Henderson

• Deborah "Debbie" Dante, Henderson

• Gene Shelnutt, Hoke

• June Reeves, Iredell

• Jason Abernethy, Iredell

• Michael Moore, Jackson

• Tommy Pharo, Lenoir

• Lucinda "Cindy" Minges, Lenoir

• Todd Burgin, Lincoln

• Brian Crisson, Lincoln

• Gary Dills, Macon

• Bruce Kemp, New Hanover

• David Kolbinsky, Orange

• George Hague, Pasquoatank

• Breenan "Tyler" Brooks, Randolph

• Haywood "Ernie" Walters, Richmond

• Gretchen Lutz, Robeson

• Loutricia Cain, Rowan

• Dwight "Dave" Collins, Rowan

• Angela Plackis, Rutherford

• James "Jimmy" Yokeley, Surry

• Wendy Warwick, Transylvania

• Sanford Steelman, Jr., Union

• Shirley Bossbach, Union

• Eric Eller, Watauga

• Hilton "Pete" Hall Jr., Wilson

• Jay DeLancy, Lee

Pennsylvania

• Leslie Osche, Butler County

• Kimberly Geyer, Butler County

• Randy Bunch, Fulton County

• Michael S. Rivera, Berks County

• Christian Y. Leinbach, Berks County

• Harry Haas, Luzerne County

• Alyssa Fusaro, Luzerne County

• Ray D’Agostino, Lancaster County

• Charlie Bayle, Erie County

• Nick Sherman, Washington County

• Tim Winters, Clearfield County

• Todd Graybill, Juniata County 

• Chris Chermak, Lackawanna County 

• Samuel Demarco III, Allegheny County 

• Scott Hough, Northampton County

• Josh Parsons, Lancaster

• CountyAmy Webster, Blair

• Daryl Miller, Bradford

• Doug McLinko, Bradford

• Steven G. Dershem, Centre

• Ted Tharan, Clarion

• Greg Gebauer, Elk

• Scott Dunn, Fayette

• David Lohr, Fayette

• Patrick F. Kline, Forest

• Dean Horst, Franklin

• Betsy Rohanna McClure, Greene

• Patrick Reeder, Huntingdon

• Scott Walls, Huntingdon

• Robert "Bob" J. Phillips, Lebanon

• Michael "Mike" J. Kuhn, Lebanon

• Richard "Rick" Morelli, Luzerne

• Daniel Schramm, Luzerne

• Scott L. Metzger, Lycoming

• Marc Sortman, Lycoming

• Bill Finley, Jr., Mercer

• Thomas DiBello, Montgomery

• Julia Geissinger, Northampton

• Robert Rossman, Potter

• Lawrence "Larry" Padora, Schuylkill

• Barron "Boots" L. Hetherington, Schuylkill

• Brian Fochtman, Somerset

• Alan M. Hall, Susquehanna

• David Darrow, Susquehanna

• Preston Boop, Union

• Same Breene, Venango

• Kenneth "Ken" Klakamp, Warren

• Doug Chew, Westmoreland

Wisconsin

• Krista Opperman, Waupaca County

• Richard "Rick" Wilbur, Wyoming

• Julie Wheeler, York

• Liana Glavin, Adams

• Linda Hoerth, Calumet

• Mike Willett, Dane

• Dave Staats, Greene

• William Laurent, Jackson

• Mary Magdalen Moser, Kenosha

• Ron Heuer, Kewaunee

• Dave Certa, Lafayette

• Patricia Doleshal, Langlade

• Helmut Fritz, Milwaukee

• Carol Boettcher, Ozaukee

• Andria Farrand, Taylor

• Ron Hoff, Vernon

• Ashley Reichert, Washington

• Jean Moxon, Winnebago