Democratic Party of Georgia Statement on Anniversary of Insurrection at U.S. Capitol

Exactly one year ago, a day after Georgians elected Senators Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock, violent rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an effort to prevent the certification of the free and fair 2020 presidential election, in which Georgia voted to elect President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Rioters were inspired by debunked claims of voter fraud in states like Georgia, which has confirmed its presidential election results three times. Several people died in connection to the insurrection.

“Insurrectionists’ violent attempt to overturn the will of millions of voters on January 6, 2021 marks a dark day in American and Georgia history, and in the lives of those at the U.S. Capitol that day – including myself – who stood barricaded behind locked doors and crouched under desks with gas masks as armed rioters stormed the halls of Congress and threatened our lives in an attempted coup. The scope of the Georgia GOP’s complicity in the January 6 insurrection and ongoing attempt to disenfranchise Georgia voters is far-reaching and disturbing, and we must never stop holding accountable those who helped incite the insurrection or who continue to spread the lies and conspiracy theories that inspired it,” said Congresswoman Nikema Williams, Chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia. “On this solemn anniversary and every day moving forward, let us all recommit ourselves to the crucial work of rebuilding our democracy – including restoring the right to vote and safeguarding the independence of our elections – to ensure that what occurred one year ago today never happens again.”

One year later, the Georgia GOP is still entangled in the January 6 insurrection:

• At the time of the insurrection, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr oversaw the Republican Attorneys General Association, which paid for robocalls urging people to march on the U.S. Capitol.

• Six of Georgia’s eight GOP members of Congress voted to reject the results of the presidential election as rioters gathered at the Capitol, and Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Andrew Clyde have since severely downplayed and attempted to justify the deadly riot.

• Months later, Georgia Republicans passed SB 202, a massive voter suppression law based on the very same lies that inspired the insurrectionists, which Governor Brian Kemp enthusiastically signed and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger supported. 

• Republican candidates for lieutenant governor continue to battle over who is more anti-democracy, with State Sen. Burt Jones gloating about his attempt to overturn the presidential election and State Sen. Butch Miller pushing for even more voter suppression beyond SB 202.

• Rep. Jody Hice, who is also running for Secretary of State, “sought to invalidate the will of millions of Georgia voters in Congress” hours after the deadly January 6 riot and has made spreading lies about the 2020 election the focal point of his campaign.

• Twenty-eight Republican state legislators sought to invalidate Georgia’s presidential election results in court ahead of January 6 based on debunked allegations of fraud.

• U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker spread false election conspiracy theories and encouraged Trump supporters to act in the days before the deadly riot. He has since become a “serial promoter” of lies about the 2020 election. 

• Georgia Republican Party Chairman David Shafer mounted unsuccessful challenges to the election results and sought to give Georgia’s 16 electoral college votes to Donald Trump.

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