Originally published in The Boston Globe.
By Steven Porter
By the time polls closed on election night in 1996, former congressman Richard N. Swett had already received a slew of phone calls from senior Democratic leaders congratulating him on his victory in the US Senate race in New Hampshire.
Based on exit polling, news outlets projected very early that Swett would prevail over Republican incumbent Senator Robert C. Smith. But they got it wrong. Smith eked out a win after all.
Swett cited that experience during an event at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics this week to illustrate what good pride-swallowing leadership and respect for democracy look like after a hard-fought race.
“The truth was that New Hampshire ran a fair and transparent election, and I accepted the outcome as the loser — unfortunately, when I woke up the next morning — and it’s no fun,” he said. “But I think that’s the example that we have to set.”
Swett, who went on to serve as US ambassador to Denmark, said too many candidates these days think they can challenge election results without clear evidence of any actual problem with the vote that led to their defeat.
His message wasn’t partisan. Swett made those comments alongside former US senator John E. Sununu, a Republican. The two have joined forces as co-leaders in New Hampshire for the Democracy Defense Project, a bipartisan organization with a presence in eight key states “where the possibility of challenges to federal elections may arise.”
Swett and Sununu said the project aims to promote public understanding of electoral systems. They, along with their counterparts in battleground states, are particularly attuned to the risks of confusion and misinformation likely to arise as votes are being tallied in the days after the Nov. 5 election. They are preparing to speak up during that period to defend lawful actors and help the public understand what’s happening.
This group isn’t shy when it comes to talking about threats to US democracy. At the same time, the project seeks to move beyond polarizing rhetoric. In that spirit, Sununu said leaders should focus on communicating clearly about the facts and refrain from denouncing any individual candidate, such as former president Donald J. Trump or Vice President Kamala D. Harris, as a “threat to democracy.”
“If the turmoil in 2020 showed us anything, it’s that it’s actually a very resilient system, as it should be,” Sununu said. “People who rioted at the Capitol have been prosecuted. The states where Trump tried to contest the election certified their votes. If there were complaints about fraud, they were adjudicated and in almost every case found not to be valid. That speaks to the strength of the system.”
Published: Nov 3, 2024
