Michigan's ex-leaders key in on rebuilding trust in state's election processes

Michigan's ex-leaders bind together to call out election disinformation

The four men have held various leadership positions from a different time in Michigan politics. Now, with less than two months until the November 2024 election, they are binding together as part of the Democracy Defense Project.

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - Ex-governors, an ex-congressman, and an ex-lieutenant governor who all hail from Michigan would be hard-pressed to find many things they all agree on, but for Republicans John Engler and Michael Bishop, and Democrats James Blanchard and John Cherry, there is one thing.

Rebuilding confidence in the state and nation's voting systems is paramount to this year's election and all future elections.

They will call out disinformation when they see it and seek to assuage fears about the integrity of resident's vote.

"We come here to call out any politician, Democrats or Republicans, or any organization that's intent on sowing doubt, distrust about this very foundation of a Democratic society, which is the electoral process," said Rose.

Rose worked as Michigan's lieutenant governor in 2003, under Jennifer Granholm.

That was at the same time Bishop served in the Michigan legislature, before moving on to Congress.

"I believe our country is at a crossroads and if we don't unify behind a shared vision, we will continue to dwell on the past," he said, "and I think it's a big mistake to relitigate the results of the previous election."

According to an AP-Norc/USA poll released this week, Republicans are more likely to trust Donald Trump than official election results, who has continued to falsely state he won the 2020 election and even said begun making statements about the integrity of the next election.

At a recent rally in Las Vegas, he told supporters "the only way they can beat us is to cheat."

"It's counterproductive to the candidate. I wouldn't say to Mr. Trump or the people around him or anybody else that it's rigged before it's even been held," said Engler.

About two-thirds of Republicans trust Trump's campaign at least a moderate amount to provide accurate information about the results of the upcoming race. Meanwhile, only half say the same about official certifications.

To push back on those errant claims, the four men are working as Michigan's Leadership Team within the project.

"So we want to make sure that when people raise the idea that elections are rigged, or not accurate, or there's fraud, we can make sure everything is investigated and we will beat it down," said Blanchard.