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Two Sanford faculty members, Professor of the Practice Asher Hildebrand and Adjunct Professor Damon Circosta, are part of a new North Carolina advisory council for Keep Our Republic, a nonpartisan civic education organization that works to strengthen confidence in elections, the rule of law and constitutional checks and balances.
Keep Our Republic announced the new council on July 7 as part of its expansion of election education and civic education efforts in North Carolina. The organization says it will bring together election administrators, legal experts, civic leaders, educators, faith leaders, veterans and other community voices to help citizens better understand how elections are administered, how votes are counted and certified, and how state and federal systems protect the peaceful transfer of power.
Circosta serves as executive director of the AJ Fletcher Foundation in Raleigh. He also chaired the North Carolina State Board of Elections from 2019 to 2023 and previously led the North Carolina Center for Voter Education.
“North Carolinians need election information that is accurate, accessible, and rooted in how the process actually works,” Circosta said in the release. “I’ve seen firsthand the professionalism and dedication of election officials across this state. Keep Our Republic’s work can help voters better understand the safeguards in place and build confidence through facts, transparency, and respectful dialogue.”
Hildebrand is a Professor of the Practice at Sanford, and the inaugural Director of Duke’s executive Master of Public Affairs program. He teaches about politics, policy, democracy and civic participation.
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“A healthy democracy requires more than showing up to vote on Election Day: it requires civic spaces where citizens can access reliable information about the electoral process, engage one another across differences, and trust that their vote will be counted,” Hildebrand said. “Keep Our Republic’s North Carolina initiative will help create the kind of space where facts, respect, and shared responsibility can guide the conversation.”
Keep Our Republic says its North Carolina work will include community conversations, public forums, legal education, media briefings and partnerships with election officials and community organizations across the state. The nonprofit has previously organized election education programming in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.