Tara Setmayer knew when it was time to leave the Republican Party.
“The final straw for me was when I actually formally left the party the day after the 2020 election when Donald Trump refused to concede the election and made all those wild accusations from the East Wing of the White House,” Setmayer, a longtime political commentator who is now an Independent, tells theGrio. “That was not a redline for [Republicans].
They let him get away with the election denial BS. And I said there is no hope for this party at this point,” she added. “The Republican Party I knew is dead.”
However, Setmayer didn’t settle for being a quiet critic, like many Republicans who privately expressed concern about Trump’s behavior but feared challenging him publicly. There were real consequences for people who’d done so, such as diminished influence in the party, job insecurity, and even death threats.
Nevertheless, the longtime political strategist hoped there would be others like her who believed in choosing country over party and would call out Trump’s authoritarian and dangerous leadership.
It’s part of the reason she launched The Seneca Project, a bipartisan PAC (political action committee) meant to engage women voters of all backgrounds, protect their interests, and, in the 2024 election, prevent a Trump victory.
“The Seneca Project is about transcending party lines. When it comes to women’s rights, it doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat or a Republican — if you’re bleeding out in a parking lot because your healthcare has been criminalized, you’re still affected,” said Setmayer, referring to anti-abortion laws bolstered by the Trump era, which have left women to suffer dangerous miscarriages without medical intervention, and other traumas.
Trump nominated three conservative Supreme Court judges who overturned Roe v. Wade and has boasted about doing so.
Reproductive rights, and particularly IVF, are just some of the issues Setmayer believes will rally women against the Trump-Vance ticket to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, the Democratic nominees for president and vice president. It’s why The Seneca Project has launched a new ad featuring the voice of Walz, testifying about how IVF helped his wife give birth to their daughter Hope.
“Once Kamala Harris chose Tim Walz, we found out he was an IVF dad, and so his daughter’s name was Hope. So there is a double entendre here behind not only the name of the ad but the message behind it as well. It’s really powerful,” explained Setmayer.
Well-known Republicans like former U.S. Congresswoman Liz Cheney, former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Georgia lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan, and former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham have endorsed Harris for president. The key public support from high-ranking Republicans has opened up space for non-Democrats to get on board.
“That’s what’s most important, explaining particularly to women that might be right of center [when] they’re like, ‘I don’t agree with Kamala Harris on everything,’ and it’s like OK. I don’t either. And that’s all right. But don’t let the perfect be the enemy of a good,” said Setmayer.
“The choice on the other side with Donald Trump and JD Vance and their vision for America, particularly for women [is] … are you comfortable putting these people in charge of your kid’s futures? And yours?” she queried. “A lot of times when they’re faced with those stakes … they’re like not ‘no,’ but ‘hell no.’”
In the final weeks before Election Day on Nov. 5, Setmayer’s Seneca Project will focus particularly on making a difference in swing states.
“Because of the electoral college, it’s coming down to four to seven states,” she noted. “For the grassroots groups, they have to get the butts to the polls … For us, we need to change the hearts and minds, so they will take that next step.”
Setmayer added, “You’re talking about 100,000 votes in four states. That’s it. This election is going to be decided on the margins – and we firmly believe, by women.”
Watch the full conversation with Tara Setmayer above, and follow theGrio for more essential Election 2024 coverage.
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Natasha S. Alford is VP of Digital Content and a Senior Correspondent at theGrio. An award-winning journalist, filmmaker and TV personality, Alford is author of the book, “American Negra.” (HarperCollins, 2024) Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @natashasalford.
