Legislative inquiry shows deep GOP division in election

Republican state lawmakers are torn between overtaking an election that President TrumpDonald Trump Jill Biden: The doctorate is one of the things I’m ‘most proud of’ Azar tells Department of Health staff his wife has COVID-19: ‘Mild symptoms, but it’s okay good ” Michigan reinstates pandemic moratorium on water cuts MORE lost and fighting tooth and nail to get him a second term, even if that means calling on Congress to overturn certified election results.

La Colline asked every Republican lawmaker in the country what they thought of the election, including whether they recognized the president-elect Joe bidenJoe Biden Los Angeles Mayor announces he won’t be joining Biden administration Jill Biden: PhD is one of the things I’m ‘most proud of’ READ: Official statement from Deb Haaland on historic nomination to Secretary of the Interior PLUS as a winner.

About half of the 200 or so Republican lawmakers who responded to The Hill recognized Biden as the winner, while about a quarter said they did not believe Trump lost his election or that Biden’s victory was legitimate.

Many Republicans have said the election is over and settled and their party will do its best to move forward.

“It’s time for my party to come together and develop a plan to move forward. Trying to overturn an election is not a plan, ”said Utah Rep. Lowry Snow (right).

“Frankly, I have found people calling for secession or asking Congress to disavow the votes of millions of Americans to be yet another embarrassment for my party,” said Vermont State Senator Joe Benning (to the right).

But other Republican lawmakers who responded to The Hill’s inquiry offered hesitant answers as to whether Biden won the election.

“I don’t think there is any doubt that there is systematic fraud and deception in some states, but if that was enough to change the numbers, I don’t know,” said the Tennessee state representative, Bud Hulsey (right) in an email.

“I want to be confident in the election results one way or another and I’m not there right now,” said Jim Struzzi (right), a representative for the state of Pennsylvania. “I want to know that every vote counted was legal before accepting the final results.”

Some Republican lawmakers have said they have seen no evidence of the type of widespread fraud that Trump, his lawyers and conservative pundits have alleged.

“I find it hard to believe there was enough fraud to change the election,” said Bill Landen (right), a Wyoming state senator who chairs the Corporations and Elections Committee in its state. “Biden is the president, and I hope the current president will stop soon and move on to healing the country.”

“Citizens must accept the outcome of the election, with proper procedures available to challenge irregularities whether or not we are happy with the outcome,” added Judy Lee (right), a Dakota State Senator from North. “Half of the United States would be unhappy no matter how the election went.”

Polls show that large numbers of Republican voters don’t think Biden’s victory was legitimate, even though there hasn’t been widespread evidence of fraud that would lead to serious questions.

Courts across the country have rejected arguments by Trump and his allies that widespread fraud led to his defeat, often in harsh terms. The long losing streak has culminated in two final rulings by a conservative-majority Supreme Court including three Trump-appointed judges.

Statements by Trump and others raising questions about the integrity of elections are seen as contributing to mistrust, and Colorado Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg (right) has said he fears efforts to undermine confidence may lead to broader issues for elected officials at all levels.

“It obscures all elected officials and their ability to represent their constituents if people are not convinced the electoral process was fair,” Sonnenberg said in an email.

In emails to The Hill, several lawmakers have left open the possibility of Congressional action to overturn the election results. Congress has the power to reject electoral votes sent by states, even if that would require a bipartisan vote that is unrealistic.

“If clearly fraudulent votes are counted and allowed to stand, I believe congressional action is warranted,” said Beryl Amedee (R), a representative for the state of Louisiana.

When questioned, some lawmakers left open the prospect of splitting from the union over the election results, an argument that echoed remarks by Tory radio host Rush Limbaugh earlier this month.

“Secession is as American as apple pie. Without secession, there would have been no America in the first place. It’s when the federal government is preventing a state or its freemen from leaving the union that we should be concerned, ”South Carolina state representative Stewart Jones (right) said in an email.

Others have rejected it outright. James Allard (right), a representative for the state of New Hampshire, called the secession “ridiculous and unworthy of discussion.”

“Our country is clearly divided with two strong ideological positions,” said Gary Leif (right), member of the Oregon House of Representatives. “But we are bound, guided and led by a strong Constitution. This is not the first time in history that we have debated the political direction of the country and it will not be the last.