Two House lawmakers from opposite parties are pressing their colleagues to commit to accepting the outcome of November's midterm elections, regardless of which party prevails. The effort comes as former President Donald Trump and several of his Republican allies continue to allege, without evidence, that the elections are being manipulated to favor Democrats.
The letter, which is still circulating on Capitol Hill, is led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who is running for reelection, and Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who is retiring. Both are seeking a public pledge from members of both parties to trust the voters and the integrity of the electoral system, and to honor the results.
“Through war and peace, through eras of bitter division and moments of national unity, one practice has held constant: those duly elected under the laws of their states take their seats, and the results of a free election are honored regardless of who prevails,” the lawmakers wrote. “This is among the oldest and most consequential traditions of our nation — the quiet, orderly act by which the consent of the governed becomes the authority to govern.”
The letter was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. It underscores a growing anxiety among some lawmakers that the losing side may refuse to concede, a scenario that has become more plausible in the years since the 2020 election.
Trump has spent years casting doubt on the integrity of U.S. elections, claiming widespread fraud, illegal ballots, and foreign interference — all supposedly aimed at helping Democrats. These claims have never been substantiated, and multiple studies have found that election fraud is extremely rare. Yet many of Trump's allies have embraced his assertions, leading to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, when a mob of his supporters attempted to block the certification of Joe Biden's victory.
That effort failed, but a majority of House Republicans later voted to reject the electoral results in Arizona and Pennsylvania. Among them was current Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who had crafted a legal argument to dispute Trump's defeat. This has fueled Democratic concerns that GOP leaders, guided by Trump, might refuse to seat incoming Democrats if they win the House majority in the midterms.
Trump has already ramped up his rhetoric, warning that Democrats can only win by cheating. Top Cabinet officials, including the heads of the Justice and Homeland Security departments, have suggested they may send federal agents to polling places to monitor for fraud. These moves have alarmed state election officials from both parties and have prompted Democrats to launch a broad effort to prepare local election officials and state attorneys general to resist any administrative interference.
Bacon's willingness to join Gottheimer on the letter signals that at least some Republicans share these concerns. “There has never been a more critical moment to affirm the integrity of the House of Representatives and its foundational role in our nation's democracy,” the pair wrote.
The push comes as Trump voters show less enthusiasm for the midterms than Harris supporters, according to a recent poll. Meanwhile, Trump's spending freeze has sparked bipartisan talks about curbing executive power, and the Senate's last-minute push failed amid gridlock before the midterms.
