ABOUT US
MISSION STATEMENT
Defend The Vote fights to preserve our most valuable American rights: the freedom to vote and to make our voices heard.
WHO WE ARE
The freedom to vote is designed to give all of us an equal say in shaping the decisions that affect our lives. It ensures our voices are heard and our communities are represented.
In recent years, billionaires, corporate special interests and extremist politicians have relentlessly eroded this freedom. They’ve used restrictive voting laws, gerrymandering, disinformation campaigns and a flood of dark money to stack the deck in their favor. They benefit themselves, without regard for anyone else or the harm caused by their self-serving agenda.
Defend The Vote is fighting back. We’re working to protect and expand access to the ballot, so that voters can make their voices heard and election workers can safely run free and fair elections. We’re also dedicated to ending the special interest control of Washington by getting dark money out of politics.
In 2024, our first full cycle, Defend The Vote emerged as the leading force focused on electing candidates who champion voting rights and work to ensure our democracy serves all of us.
Combined, DTV and DTV Action Fund raised and contributed $7.4 million to advance their critical missions.
DTV made significant investments to help elect 108 candidates, providing them with messaging, research, and political support. Meanwhile, DTV Action Fund collaborated with local and national partners to protect voting access and support election workers and officials.
At Defend The Vote, we’re determined to defend the freedom to vote and rebuild our democracy so it works for and includes all of us. When everyone participates, we all thrive.
Brian Lemek
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR and Founder
Brian is the President and Executive Director of Defend The Vote. Under his leadership, DTV has grown into one of the nation’s largest and most influential electoral pro-democracy organizations. It works to elect candidates who are dedicated to protecting the freedom to vote and strengthening our democracy so it serves all Americans. In 2023, Brian launched DTV Action Fund, an issue advocacy organization that works in support of voting rights and pro-democracy reforms.
At both DTV and DTV Action Fund, Brian draws on his long-standing relationships on Capitol Hill and State Houses across the United States to serve as a top convener, hosting briefings on legislation, facilitating conversations with key groups and allies, and providing partners with support. In less than two full cycles, DTV and DTV Action Fund combined have raised and contributed $10 million toward advancing their critical missions.
Brian founded Stop Gun Violence PAC and currently serves on its board as well as the board of Elect Democratic Women Action Fund. He was Vice President of Development at Brady and the Founding Member and Executive Director of BradyPAC, where in its first full cycle it invested over $5M to elect gun violence prevention champions and to fund on the ground democracy initiatives.
Brian began his career working on human rights and conflict resolution initiatives in the United States, Southern Africa, and the Middle East. His experience bringing higher education to young women, working to end poverty in vulnerable populations, and providing life skills and after school initiatives to children in post and existing conflict zones shaped his appreciation for healthy democracies.
He has appeared on television and in print regularly, including CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, PBS and more. He earned his BA from Colgate University and his MBA from Babson College. Hailing from Providence, RI, he resides in the Washington, DC suburbs.
