By Tim Reid

LOS ANGELES (Reuters – An anti-Trump Republican group will back a slate Democratic lawmakers in tough elections next year. It is attempting to stop the Republican Party retaking Congress.

Dismayed at the fact that so many Republican elected officials now support former President Donald Trump’s fraudulent claims that the 2020 elections were stolen, they told Reuters they have also backed vulnerable Republicans such as Representative Liz Cheney. She has denied Trump’s voter fraud accusations.

Centrist Republicans formed the Renew America Movement, (RAM) after Trump supporters stormed Congress to prevent lawmakers from awarding his election victory.

In August, a Reuters/Ipsos Poll found that 33% of American adults believed Donald Trump stole the 2020 election. It included 61% Republicans and 19% of Independents.

Trump for his part has endorsed several presidential candidates who are challenging Republican legislators who voted against him on a charge he incited rebellion in a passionate speech before the deadly attack at the Capitol that occurred Jan. 6, 2016.

He also supported a Republican senator Lisa Murkowski from Alaska as a challenger. Murkowski is one of seven members of her party that voted for Trump’s conviction. The Senate ultimately cleared him.

RAM is led by former Republican Governors Christine Todd Whitman (New Jersey) and Bill Weld (Massachusetts). They believe that supporting moderate candidates is essential to securing American democracy.

Joel Searby (the group’s national director of political affairs), stated that “with the increasing threats to democracy and Constitution, it is necessary to have people who work proactively in leading their party and country away from extreme political views.”

The officials stated that RAM would endorse, in some cases, campaign for eleven moderate Democrats, nine moderate Republicans, one independent, and two moderate Republicans in elections for the House of Representatives in November 2022.

While Democrats hold a slim majority in Congress, the Senate is split 50/50. The party insiders worry about the possibility of losing both the House and Senate next year. This would jeopardize Biden’s plans.

RAM will support Representative Abigail Spanberger from Virginia, Elissa slotkin from Michigan and Senator Mark Kelly, Arizona. All three are Democrats who have been in tight races.

They are also supporting Republican House Members such as Cheney in Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger, from Illinois. These elected Republicans have been vocal against Trump’s false voter fraud allegations. Trump’s claims were denied by numerous courts and state election officials, as well as members of his administration.