Democracy Defenders

Fully enjoying her job as chief deputy in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, Joanna Lydgate ’10 wasn’t looking for a new challenge. But when alarming internal threats to American democracy escalated last year, she knew she had a unique perspective on how state leaders were positioned to confront them.

Now, as co-founder and CEO of the States United Democracy Center in Washington, D.C., Lydgate guides its work to advance free, fair, and secure elections. The nonpartisan center helps connect state officials, law enforcement leaders, and pro-democracy partners across America with tools and expertise to protect the vote, hold democracy violators accountable, and prevent political violence.

Lydgate says that amid calls by former President Trump to postpone the November 2020 election and mounting election-related lies, she recalled Berkeley Law mentors “who encouraged me to take risks, think creatively, and understand the power of the law to effect change.”

Working with former U.S. Ambassador to the Czech Republic and Obama White House “Ethics Czar” Norman Eisen and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, they established the Voter Protection Program — which eventually became States United.

Another Berkeley Law alum, Jenn Fogel-Bublick ’98, was hired as COO. “We were building an organization amid a global pandemic and a democracy crisis. Recruiting Jenn and having inherent trust in her as a fellow Berkeley grad was a game changer,” Lydgate says.

The advisory board features former governors, state attorneys general, secretaries of state, law enforcement leaders, and federal officials who served in both Democratic and Republican administrations. It includes Berkeley Law grad and past Alaska Attorney General Jahna Lindemuth ’97 and recent UC President Janet Napolitano, former Secretary of Homeland Security who also served as Arizona’s governor and attorney general.

Their goal, Lydgate says, is to “build a nonpartisan firewall against those who are trying to undermine our democracy.” They assess vulnerable areas, what legal, policy, and communication strategies are most effective, and what states can learn from each other to protect voting freedom nationwide.

Leading up to the Electoral College certification, the organization published a report rebutting claims that Vice President Mike Pence could overturn the election results. The report also shared guidance on how to prepare for and manage potentially violent demonstrations.

“We’re fighting against misinformation campaigns and voter suppression efforts in state houses across the country,” says Fogel-Bublick, noting that “democracy violators have doubled down” since the U.S. Capitol insurrection on January 6.

Calling democracy an American responsibility rather than a partisan issue, Lydgate admits to “a lot of late nights and lost weekends, and more screen time for my kids than I’d like to admit.” Nevertheless, her commitment hasn’t wavered.

“We’re working every day to fight disinformation, amplify bipartisan voices defending our democracy, and help the public and policy makers understand what’s at stake,” she says. —Andrew Cohen