Breaching the Mainstream: A National Survey of Far-Right Membership in State Legislatures

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.irehr.org/reports/breaching-the-mainstream/

An essential element of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights (IREHR) mission is to track far-right efforts to advance from the margins to the mainstream. One critical area of concern for the United States is how deeply the far-right has penetrated state politics.

After insurrectionists tried to overthrow the presidential election on January 6, 2021, small pieces of this puzzle started to emerge. Several state legislators took part in state-level efforts to undermine the results of the 2020 election.[1] A state senator gave full-throated support to white nationalists.[2] Forty-eight state and local officials, including ten sitting state lawmakers, were outed as members of the far-right paramilitary group, the Oath Keepers.[3] These are but a few examples of far-right activism by state legislators.

In addition, while attention rightly focused on the insurrection underway in Washington D.C., IREHR documented that forty-five insurrectionist rallies also took place in thirty-two states on that day—making crystal clear that what happened in the nation’s capital was part of a country-wide social movement also targeting state governments.[4]

The depth of far-right activity in state legislatures is still largely unknown. The information to date is fragmented and far from a complete picture.

This report changes that by bringing much-needed context to the national discussion. The IREHR research team reviewed the data of thousands of far-right groups on the Facebook platform and found deepening ties between far-right groups and state legislators.

*snip*

[ThoughtCriminal]

1. "The depth of far-right activity in state legislatures is still largely unknown"

It's not hard. Just look for the (R) next to their names.

[Abolishinist]

2. They have been targeting these 'under the radar' positions for years,

especially in the last several. Unfortunately, it's paying off for them.

[modrepub]

3. In My State

It's easier for the far right to gain a seat in the legislature because you just need to secure a majority of people in a small district. Much harder to be a looney when you're trying to win over a wider (state-wide) electorate. It's also probably why Repubs (and their crazies) have strengthened the legislative branches of government. Much easier for minority rule when most folks can only control, via the vote, 1-2 legislators out of a group of several score. Not to mention procedural things like the Senate's cloture methods and filibuster rules.