An Open Letter to All 50 Governors

An Open Letter to All 50 Governors

Defending State Sovereignty, Constitutional Rights, and American Lives

By maveriQ B Jackson | February 4, 2026

I write to you today not as an elected official, but as an American citizen who has watched the constitutional order fracture over the past year. I am maveriQ B Jackson, a candidate for Colorado State House District 23. I believe the time has come for governors of all political persuasions to stand together, because what is happening now threatens not just immigrants or blue states—it threatens every American and every state in this union.

The President Has Called to Nationalize Elections

On February 2, 2026, President Trump stated in an interview:

"The Republicans should say, 'We want to take over.' We should take over the voting... in at least many, 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting."

This is not partisan commentary. This is the sitting President of the United States calling for federal seizure of state election authority—in direct violation of Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution.

The Heritage Foundation—the organization behind Project 2025—states on its own website: "We will always oppose a federal takeover of our elections by Washington elites." Republican Congressman Don Bacon publicly opposed this statement. When Heritage and Republican members of Congress contradict a Republican President on federalism, this is not a partisan issue. This is a constitutional crisis.

Federal Agents Have Killed American Citizens

This is not hyperbole. In January 2026 alone, federal immigration agents killed two United States citizens in Minneapolis:

Renée Good, 37—a mother, poet, and Colorado native—was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross on January 7, 2026. Video evidence contradicts the administration's claim that she tried to run over officers. She was driving away from them. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called this American mother a "domestic terrorist."

Alex Pretti, 37—an ICU nurse at a VA hospital who served our veterans—was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents on January 24 while observing an immigration operation. Video contradicts the administration's claims. Even Republican Senator Bill Cassidy called for a "full joint federal and state investigation," saying "the credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake."

These were not immigrants. These were American citizens. A nurse who served veterans. A mother of three. Both killed by masked federal agents operating in American neighborhoods.

Military Detention Camps Are Being Built Across America

The administration is building a network of detention facilities on military bases:

• Fort Bliss, Texas—Now the largest immigration detention facility in America, holding up to 5,000 people in tent structures. An ICE inspection found conditions violating at least 60 federal detention standards. A detainee was reportedly choked to death by guards.

• Fort Dix, New Jersey—Approved to detain up to 3,000 people.

• Guantánamo Bay, Cuba—The President announced plans to hold up to 30,000 people at the infamous torture prison.

A Navy contract that started at $10 billion has ballooned to a $55 billion ceiling. Congress has allocated over $45 billion for ICE detention alone. Six people have died in ICE custody in just the first three weeks of 2026.

Once the infrastructure for mass detention exists on military bases, it can be used against anyone. History shows that governments build these systems for one group, then expand them to others. Fort Bliss was used to intern Japanese-Americans during World War II. The precedent being set today will outlast this administration.

This Is Not Just About Immigrants—It Affects Every American

• U.S. citizens killed—Renée Good and Alex Pretti were both born in this country.

• Purple Heart veteran deported—Sae Joon Park, a Purple Heart recipient shot twice in combat, was forced to self-deport to South Korea. When asked in Congress how many veterans had been deported, Secretary Noem said "none." She was immediately confronted with Park on a live video call.

• U.S. citizens detained—Native Americans and citizens have been swept up in raids. An elderly Hmong man—a U.S. citizen for decades—was dragged into his front yard in his underwear in subzero temperatures.

• FEMA disaster funds frozen—Secretary Noem has frozen over $1 billion in FEMA disaster-prevention funds, putting American communities at risk.

• Grants cancelled by how states voted—A federal court found the administration violated the Constitution by cancelling grants based solely on whether recipients lived in states that voted for the President.

Today It's Democratic States. Tomorrow It Could Be Yours.

• $10 billion in child care and social services frozen to California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York

• FBI seized Georgia's election materials—ballots, tabulator tapes, and voter rolls—with the DNI personally present

• 2,000 federal agents deployed to Minneapolis in "Operation Metro Surge," which a federal judge found violated at least 96 court orders

To Republican Governors: If the federal government can seize Georgia's election materials today, what stops a future Democratic administration from seizing Texas's or Florida's tomorrow? The precedent you allow today becomes the weapon used against you tomorrow.

What I Am Asking

I am asking every governor, regardless of party, to:

1. Issue a public statement opposing any federal attempt to nationalize elections

2. Coordinate with other governors—Republican and Democrat—to present a united front defending state sovereignty

3. Direct your Attorney General to prepare legal challenges to unconstitutional federal overreach

4. Protect your state's voter data and election materials from federal seizure

5. Demand accountability when federal agents kill American citizens in your state

The Constitution Does Not Belong to Either Party

I am a Democrat. Many governors are Republicans. But the Constitution was written to prevent exactly what is happening now—the concentration of power in the executive branch, the use of federal force against citizens, and the seizure of state authority.

In Federalist No. 17, Alexander Hamilton wrote that states "will generally possess the confidence and good-will of the people," and can therefore "oppose all encroachments of the national government." The Founders knew this moment would come. They designed the system so that governors could stand as the check.

Two American citizens are dead. A Purple Heart veteran has been deported. Detention camps are being built on military bases. The President is calling to nationalize elections.

If not now, when? If not you, who?

—

maveriQ B Jackson

Candidate, Colorado State House District 23

Lakewood, Colorado

contact@votemaveriq.com | votemaveriq.com | (970) 725-6656

— mav QBJ