We asked Valley Republican lawmakers if Biden won the election. Here’s what they said
Most GOP members in Congress continue to refuse to admit that Joe Biden won the presidential election over Donald Trump. In a recent tally by The Washington Post, only 27 of the 249 congressional GOP members have agreed that Biden will be the next president.
Lest this seem to be a phenomenon unique to Washington, D.C. politics, the results for the central San Joaquin Valley’s GOP lawmakers are no better. The Bee’s Editorial Board (which is independent from the news team) presented this question to the Republicans in Congress and in Sacramento who represent the Valley:
“Do you acknowledge that Joe Biden won the presidential election?”
Follow-up questions were also asked in the email survey:
“If not, why not? If you are citing voting irregularities, be specific about what you mean.
“What will it take for you to accept him as the next president?”
The area’s Republican congressional members are Devin Nunes (Tulare and Fresno counties), David Valadao (just elected to represent Kings and parts of Fresno, Tulare and Kern counties) and Tom McClintock (whose sprawling district covers mountain communities from Oakhurst to near Sacramento).
In the state capitol, the Valley’s Republicans are Assembly members Jim Patterson and Devon Mathis and state Sens. Andreas Borgeas and Shannon Grove.
Of the seven lawmakers surveyed, only two — Valadao and Borgeas — said they acknowledge Biden as president-elect. Grove preferred to wait until after the Electoral College meets on Monday to choose the winner.
Offering no comment whatsoever were Nunes, McClintock, Patterson and Mathis.
That is a 28.5% acknowledging of Biden.
Accepting with grace the winner of a presidential election from the opposing political party is a longstanding American tradition. To fail to do that is beyond disappointing — it is undemocratic, even un-American.
Agreeing Biden is president-elect
Of those who responded to The Bee, Valadao offered the clearest expression of acceptance. His full response:
“Yes, Joe Biden is going to be the next president. I believe it is absolutely imperative that every eligible voter have their vote counted. With that process now complete, it is time to prioritize a peaceful transition of power so we can begin finding ways to work together across the aisle. Right now, 100% of my focus is on getting to work for my constituents to provide COVID relief, help revive struggling small businesses, and get Californians back to work.”
Borgeas, the Republican whose sprawling district runs from north Fresno and Clovis to near Sacramento, also registered his acknowledgment, but with a caveat. His statement:
“Yes, though procedurally, and barring a successful legal challenge, the Electoral College is the legal event that officially confirms the election results next week.”
Grove, the Bakersfield Republican whose district extends into Tulare County, chose not to recognize Biden as the president-elect. She is also the GOP leader in the Senate. Her response:
“Just as many Americans have heard, I have listened to the reports of election irregularities and am waiting to hear the results of several legal disputes. Our Constitution establishes that the Electoral College elects a president. The electors have not met, and until all the states have certified their elections, each candidate is entitled to pursue claims of voting irregularities that may have altered the outcome, just as Hillary Clinton did four years ago, and Al Gore did in 2000.”
Election results clear
As of Wednesday, CNN reported all 50 states had certified their elections. As for reports of voting irregularities, dozens of lawsuits challenging the results have been dismissed in state and federal courts.
Attorney General William Barr, known for his loyalty to the president, announced the Justice Department did not find sufficient evidence of fraud to change the election.
Biden has secured well more than the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.
It should be noted that many Republican politicians across the country have, in fact, acknowledged Biden’s win and even congratulated him, as shown in a lengthy list compiled by Forbes.
How to explain the denial of the obvious by so many other GOP elected leaders?
Maybe it stems from ill-conceived wishful thinking, or blind loyalty to Trump — or even fear of crossing him and his supporters. Trump has refused to concede and continues to peddle false claims that the election was stolen and he is the actual winner — despite Biden’s record-setting victory in the popular vote.
Beyond that absurdity, continued enabling of Trump by GOP members runs the longer-term risk of turning America from a democracy to an authoritarian state. Winning at all costs comes before democratic principles.
It is beyond time to support President-elect Biden and return to the business at hand — overcoming the coronavirus pandemic and returning strength to the American economy by getting people back to work. The central San Joaquin Valley has deep needs that must be addressed.
It is time to end the partisan political nonsense that has paralyzed the nation for too long.