“While the states are taking valiant and expensive measures to protect their elections, it is impossible for states to independently obtain intelligence, subject-matter expertise, and real-time incident reporting, and information at the scale and speed required to protect state elections from physical and cyber threats,” Sen. Mark Warner wrote.
Sen. Mark Warner's letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin
Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D‑Va., sent a letter Wednesday to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin demanding answers about what he describes as a sharp decline in federal election‑security support ahead of the 2026 midterms. Warner asked DHS to explain what the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is doing to warn state and local officials about malign influence campaigns and cyber threats targeting election infrastructure.
The letter requested records of election‑related training, cybersecurity reviews, incident responses and outreach efforts conducted by CISA since January 2025. Warner also asked whether any CISA personnel were involved in an FBI raid tied to election systems in Fulton County, Georgia — where, the letter notes, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was publicly seen alongside federal officials — or in her office’s seizure and testing of voting machines in Puerto Rico.
Reductions at CISA and the administration's defense
Warner’s letter adds to growing criticism of the administration’s handling of CISA and its election‑security mission, which the senator says has faced deep staffing reductions enacted over the last year. The story cites officials saying those staffing changes have strained relationships with state and local election authorities.
After this story was published, a DHS spokesperson criticized CISA’s prior focus, saying that, under President Joe Biden, CISA “was focused on censorship, branding, and electioneering instead of defending America’s critical infrastructure.” The spokesperson added that, under President Donald Trump, the agency is “committed to delivering timely, actionable cyber threat intelligence, supporting federal, state, and local partners, and defending against both nation‑state and criminal cyber threats.” The spokesperson also said CISA’s mission is “ensuring state and local election officials are cognizant of and utilize the most capable and timely threat intelligence, expertise, resources they need to defend against risks, and identify critical infrastructure security needs to maintain electoral functions.”
State and local officials in Michigan and Georgia report less support
Officials in Michigan and Georgia told the reporting late last month that efforts to shrink CISA and its election‑security resources have strained relations with state and local partners and raised concerns that jurisdictions may be far less prepared to counter threats in November. Warner’s letter echoes those reports, saying state and local officials have reported receiving less training, intelligence‑sharing and cybersecurity assistance than in prior election cycles.
Fiscal 2027 budget proposal would eliminate CISA election program funding
The administration’s fiscal 2027 budget proposal would eliminate CISA’s election security program funding, the story reports, including information‑sharing efforts and election security advisor positions. Warner cited testimony by the head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency in his letter, noting that those officials said foreign adversaries are expected to target the 2026 elections.
What this means for state and local election officials, DHS, and foreign adversaries
- State and local election officials: According to Warner’s description, jurisdictions are already taking “valiant and expensive measures” to protect elections but lack the scale‑and‑speed intelligence, subject‑matter expertise, and real‑time reporting that CISA previously provided; Warner’s records request seeks to quantify what assistance has been offered since January 2025.
- DHS and CISA: The department has been asked to provide documentary proof of training, cybersecurity reviews, incident responses and outreach; the DHS spokesperson’s statements frame the agency’s recent posture in political terms while asserting a renewed operational commitment.
- Foreign adversaries: Warner’s letter cites senior military and intelligence testimony that foreign adversaries are expected to target the 2026 elections, a backdrop that the senator uses to argue for continued federal support and information‑sharing.
Warner’s letter formalizes a demand for concrete records and explanations at a moment when staffing reductions and a proposed budget change converge with an explicit warning from senior commanders that the 2026 cycle will be targeted. The public record now centers on DHS’s response to those requests and whether the agency will document a restoration — or further erosion — of the election‑security assistance states say they need.
