Presidential Electors cast their votes in Richmond and other state capitols Monday, again confirming Joe Biden as President-elect. Meanwhile, Republicans in the Commonwealth are trying to navigate through a difficult period after the election but before the inauguration.
Three Republican congressmen from Virginia signed on to that amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to throw out millions of legally-cast ballots: Morgan Griffith, Rob Wittman and Ben Cline.
"They're representing their constituent's views. You may not like it, but that's what they are doing," says Republican strategist Dan Scandling. "The overwhelming majority of Republicans, right or wrong, believe that the election was fraudulent and that it was stolen from them. And that's where the overwhelming majority of Republicans are right now."
Former Republican Delegate David Ramadan, now at George Mason University's Schar School, points out that Griffith, Wittman and Cline are all former members of the Virginia House of Delegates.
"And in their previous lives, would have fought nail and tooth for federalism and states rights and never for another state or for federal level to interfere in states rights on election legislation," Ramadan says. "I believe this was a mistake."
Only one Republican congressman from Virginia did not sign the amicus brief, Denver Riggleman. He's not returning to Congress, though, because he was unseated by Republican Congressman-elect Bob Good, a Trump supporter who appeared at a Stop the Steal rally over the weekend and falsely proclaimed that the pandemic is fake.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
