Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania will nominate a Republican in Philadelphia, who resisted Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, as the state’s chief election officer. said Shapiro on Thursday.
For Shapiro, who is set to take office on January 17, his election as Secretary of the Union is both an olive branch to moderate Republicans and an affirmation of public belief in the state’s electoral system. Mr. Shapiro chose Al Schmidt for the position, a former commissioner of the city of Philadelphia and a longtime politician.
“Al Schmidt has a proven record of defending democracy, defending voting rights and fighting extremism, even in the face of grave threats,” Shapiro said in a statement released by his office. “I know he is ready to continue his hard work to preserve and strengthen democracy.”
Schmidt, 51, has held a Republican-appointed seat on Philadelphia’s three-member city committee for 10 years, overseeing city council elections. He also served as Executive Director of the Philadelphia GOP and Senior Advisor to the Pennsylvania Republican Party.
Still, Mr. Schmidt was relatively unknown outside of Philadelphia after the 2020 election until Mr. Trump put public pressure on him to stop counting absentee ballots. In 2021, Schmidt testified before the Senate that Trump’s remarks led to death threats, which he said were intended to “intimidate and coerce all valid votes not to be counted.”
“After the president tweeted about me, my wife and I were threatened to name our children, include my home address and a picture of my house, and ‘put your head on spikes,'” it said. Mr Schmidt said, “It used to be a pretty low profile manager, but now a lunatic threatens to kill your child.”
Last summer, Mr. Schmidt appeared before a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol shootings and revealed threatening letters his family had received from Trump supporters. Rebellious Schmitz. ”
In a statement released by Shapiro’s office, Schmidt said, “We will do more to ensure that elections are free and fair here in Pennsylvania and that all voters have a voice. We will do our best to ensure that
Schmidt’s nomination, which has to be confirmed in the Republican-controlled state Senate, is the first cabinet appointment since Shapiro defeated prominent Republican election denier Doug Mastriano in November. announced. Retired Army Colonel Mastriano chartered a bus to Washington for a January 6, 2021 rally, leading to the attack on the Capitol. He campaigned on a platform called Restrict Access to Vote in Pennsylvania.
Shapiro said in an interview last month that he hopes Republicans in the Pennsylvania legislature will agree to change state laws that prohibit the processing of absentee and early ballots before election day. A voting procedure that could lengthen the tally helped fuel Trump-inspired threats against Schmidt.
He also explained the role that ultimately nominated Mr. Schmidt.
“I will appoint a secretary of state who will stand for democracy,” he said in an interview. “We will respect the will of the people and recognize the winner whether they agree with the election or not. It will be my duty to my Secretary of State.”
