For Immediate Release:

January 21, 2022

CONTACT: Michael Beyer, mbeyer@ohiodems.org, 504-307-7154

J.D. Vance Follows Mandel Down the Radical Rabbit Hole, Now Falsely Says 2020 Election Was Stolen

Columbus, OH — After months of failing to gain traction, J.D. Vance is so desperate to remain relevant, he is doing his best Josh Mandel impression and is now saying the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

Josh Mandel has said that the 2020 election was stolen in forums and at campaign stops. At a forum in October, Mandel received applause for saying that lie. At one forum in November, every candidate on stage except for Matt Dolan and J.D. Vance applauded (at the 59-minute mark) Josh Mandel for saying the election was stolen. Even Jane Timken applauded, who Mandel says cannot stand him!

With his falling position in the polls, Vance has now shifted to saying the election was stolen to keep his campaign on life support. This is new for Vance, who in October 2021 said Ohio’s elections were “pretty gold standard” and as Cincinnati.com noted, “Mandel’s opponents have shied away from claiming the election was stolen.”

Vance isn’t the only candidate to arrive at this position after several months of failing to gain traction in this primary. Bernie Moreno tweeted that his conservative friends should accept the results of the election on November 7, 2020. Last month, Moreno flipped his position and started airing ads saying he believes the lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

The Big Lie is the defining issue in Republican primary races around the country thanks to Trump’s iron grip on the Republican Party. And all of the leading Senate candidates are desperately vying for Trump’s endorsement, willing to indulge in his most dangerous lies instead of talking about how to improve the lives of Ohioans.

“Trump’s grip on this out-of-control primary keeps getting tighter with more candidates indulging in dangerous election lies to prove their loyalty to him instead of focusing on the issues that matter to Ohioans. Josh Mandel has dragged the Republican Senate field down another right-wing conspiracy rabbit hole and it seems only a matter of time before they all echo this dangerous lie,” said Michael Beyer, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party.