Why Joe Biden is making democracy itself a major political campaign issue

President Joe Biden has given a major speech about the “soul of America” and the state of democracy in the United States. He was speaking in Pennsylvania, where Republican Doug Mastriano, a state senator who wanted to delay the certification of the 2020 presidential election, is running for governor.

Mastriano was also present at the US Capitol on the day of the 6 January riot (though he says he left before it took place) and bussed supporters of Donald Trump to Washington on that day. If elected this November, he could easily go rogue and attempt to block the certification of the 2024 presidential election results if the commonwealth elects a Democrat for president.

Mastriano is one of the “Maga Republicans” that Biden chose to warn Americans about in his primetime address on the state of democracy.