Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted President Trump’s firing of the remaining members of the Election Assistance Commission as a “brazen attempt to seize control of our elections,” vowing that Senate Democrats will fight the move at every turn.
Trump fired the two Democratic members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission—Chairman Thomas Hicks and former Chairman Benjamin Hovland—on Thursday, July 9, 2026. Republican Commissioner Christy McCormick also resigned the same day, leaving all four seats on the independent board vacant.
“Firing every remaining member of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission months before the midterms is a brazen attempt to seize control of our elections before a single vote is cast,” Schumer said in a statement released Friday. “He is gutting the independent agency that certifies voting systems and helps election officials run secure elections.”
The EAC, created under the Help America Vote Act in 2002, is designed as a bipartisan, independent body to help states administer elections. It certifies voting systems, maintains the national voter registration form, distributes federal election grants, and serves as a clearinghouse for election administration best practices.
The White House defended the removals, saying in a statement that Trump “reserves the right to remove individuals that may not be totally aligned with the important task of securing America’s elections and ensuring every legal vote is counted.” The administration cited the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Trump v. Slaughter, which expanded the president’s power to fire leaders of independent agencies at will.
Democratic strategist David Axelrod warned Friday of possible election interference in the midterms. “All the signals are flashing red, the latest being @POTUS’s summary dismissal of the remaining Federal Election Assistance Commission members,” Axelrod wrote on social media. He cited Trump’s controversial appointments, executive orders targeting mail-in voting, and support for stricter voter ID requirements as part of a broader pattern.
Axelrod argued that if Republicans “would take a beating this fall, largely because of Trump’s unpopularity,” the president is “setting up Plan B–do whatever you need to do to win.” He warned that “the courts are going to be very busy this fall” handling fallout from the midterm elections.
The firings drew criticism from election officials and voting rights organizations. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called the move “irresponsible and dangerous,” accusing the administration of being “dead set on causing chaos for our election officials across this country.” The League of Women Voters called the removals “a direct attack on the independence of our nation’s election infrastructure.”
The EAC requires at least three of its four commissioners to approve official actions. With all seats now vacant, the agency cannot carry out major responsibilities heading into the November midterms, just four months away. It remains unclear whether Trump will appoint new commissioners or leave the board without leadership.
Sources
- Senate Democratic Leadership — Schumer’s official statement on the EAC firings, describing the move as a “brazen attempt to seize control of our elections.”
- The Hill — Axelrod’s warning of election interference and broader Trump administration election-related actions.
- Time Magazine — Details on the EAC’s role, the specific commissioners fired, and reactions from voting rights organizations and election officials.
