Sell not liberty to purchase power.
Our Mission
Keep Our Republic is a non-partisan civic education organization dedicated to:
- Preserving a republic of laws
- Strengthening the checks & balances of our democratic operating system
- Raising awareness of emerging risks to the electoral process that is so vital to America’s liberty and prosperity
- Working at national and state levels to mitigate these risks by conducting research, publishing our ideas and promoting dialogue
- Coordinating closely with other civic groups to help promote trust in the strength of our republic and its institutions
Our Pledge
At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, Ben Franklin was asked by passersby about what kind of political system we would have and he reportedly replied: “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
We pledge to keep it.
Therefore, we rededicate ourselves to uphold the following basic principles, and we call on our fellow citizens to do the same:
Let every eligible voter vote.
Let every vote be counted.
Let the electoral count stand.
Respect the voice of the people in each state as expressed in the popular vote.
Quotes from Our Colleagues
“Americans must do whatever we can to preserve American democracy. We both have been to Normandy. We visited the cemetery that honors young Americans who hit the beach knowing their chances of survival were slim. History is asking comparably little of us today to preserve freedom. Surely we will respond to the call.”
Dick Gephardt and Tom Ridge
“Keep Our Republic has been a leader and partner in identifying and addressing potential threats to our orderly electoral process. KOR’s thought leadership and state-level training programs are a model of non-partisan civic action to protect American democracy. “
Trevor Potter
President, Campaign Legal Center
“Keep Our Republic is amazingly effective at doing exactly what their name suggests. From their thought leadership at the national level, to their pragmatic approach in running state-level educational programs to guard against risks to the electoral process, KOR has harnessed the deep expertise and experience of its members to become an invaluable resource in the fight to preserve democracy.”
Elizabeth Goitein
Senior Director
Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
“The freedom to vote is a foundation of our democracy. Preserving it depends on Americans being able to vote, knowing their vote will be counted and having confidence in the results. Free and fair elections are under attack by enemies both visible and invisible, and confronting them is necessary to avoid chaos.”
Dick Gephardt, Trevor Potter and Tim Wirth
“The hijacking of our democratic processes by extremists also infringes the constitutional rights of the rest of us—no matter which side of the political aisle you’re on.”
Mary McCord
Executive Director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection
“The ‘Big Lie’ – the baseless claim that the 2020 presidential election outcome was the result of massive fraud and other electoral misconduct – began germinating long before many Americans even realized. It has now endured well beyond reason justifies or our democracy deserves.”
Former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart and Ari Mittleman
“Keep Our Republic brings people together–regardless of party–to prepare for and counter the extremism and political violence that threaten civic life and undermine our democracy. We all have a role to play.”
Mary McCord, Esq.
Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection
The If We Can Keep It Podcast
Episode 1: “Never Questioned, Now Crucial: The Integrity Of Our Elections”
The inaugural episode of If We Can Keep It features a candid conversation with former Congressman and House Majority Leader Richard “Dick” Gephardt. He reveals that before the 2020 election he never was worried about the state of American democracy, “I ran for Congress 14 times, and it never crossed my mind in all those elections that the election would not be fair and honest.”
Listen and subscribe today: