Joe Biden secured enough electoral votes on Saturday to win the presidency, but the top Republicans in Iowa and across the country haven’t acknowledged his win as President Donald Trump refuses to concede and trumpets claims of widespread voter fraud without evidence.
According to The Associated Press, President-elect Biden has won 290 electoral votes compared to Trump’s 214. As of Monday afternoon, a winner has not been declared in Georgia, North Carolina and Alaska. Even if Trump carries the three states and their 34 electoral votes, he still falls short of 270. It appears Trump will win North Carolina and Alaska given his margins there, but Biden narrowly is leading in Georgia, a state Democrats have not won since Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign.
Chuck Grassley, Iowa’s senior U.S. senator, has not publicly acknowledged Biden’s win despite serving with him in the Senate for 28 years. The last tweet he sent was Friday afternoon, and it was not election related. His last press release also was on Friday, a Q&A about Veterans Day.
A Grassley spokesperson told the Quad-City Times, “It is up to local and state election officials to certify results and the courts to settle any potential legal dispute.”
[inline-ad id=”0″]
Sen. Joni Ernst, who won reelection on Nov. 3, said on Twitter Friday “every legal vote should be counted and there should be transparency in the process.” She has not issued a statement regarding Biden or condemned Trump for spreading baseless allegations of widespread voter fraud.
Everyone should be able to agree that every legal vote should be counted and there should be transparency in this process. It’s important we maintain free and fair elections in the US.
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) November 6, 2020
Also on Friday, Ernst encouraged support for her “friend” Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia who will face Democrat Raphael Warnock in a January runoff election because neither the Republican or Democratic candidate secured 50% of the vote on Election Day. Georgia Sen. David Perdue also faces a runoff election against Democrat Jon Ossoff. Democrats will need to win both seats in order to tie the Senate at 50-50, with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as the tie-breaking vote for a majority.
The latest press release from Ernst’s office came Friday when the senator said she was working to ensure COVID-19 testing is free.
[inline-ad id=”1″]
On Saturday, the day Biden’s victory was called, Gov. Kim Reynolds tweeted photos of herself at the 34th Annual Governor’s Pheasant Hunt in Crawford County.
A beautiful day for the 34th Annual Governor’s Pheasant Hunt in Crawford County! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/h68qZgAl2a
— Kim Reynolds (@KimReynoldsIA) November 7, 2020
Congresswoman-elect Ashley Hinson, who unseated Democratic Rep. Abby Finkenauer, was on “Fox and Friends” Sunday morning, but was not asked about the presidential election results.
In a statement on Facebook, Hinson said, “It is absolutely essential that every legitimate vote is counted and every illegitimate vote in this election is not counted. A fair election process is at the core of our democracy and ALL fraud should be investigated. In the Iowa House, I fought hard for government transparency, and it’s clear this election is lacking transparency. We need to fix this, and the American people deserve answers so we can move forward.”
[inline-ad id=”2″]
The statement provided no examples of “illegitimate” votes being counted or a lack of transparency that has impacted the outcome of the presidential race.
Randy Feenstra, also a newly elected Republican, retweeted Congressman Steve Scalise, the second-highest ranking Republican in the U.S. House, who said: “The election isn’t over until all legal votes are counted and certified. There are still serious legal challenges that have been made, and until that process is resolved, the election is not final. The American people deserve a fair and transparent process.”
Feenstra, the congressman-elect in Iowa’s 4th District, said he agreed with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy about counting all “legal” votes and allowing recounts and court challenges to proceed before calling the race for Biden.
[inline-ad id=”3″]
“We must count every legal vote and every legal challenge from @realDonaldTrump must be heard!” Feenstra said.
Agree – we must count every legal vote and every legal challenge from @realDonaldTrump must be heard! https://t.co/AQxMF052tW
— Randy Feenstra (@RandyFeenstra) November 9, 2020
An explainer from the AP outlines the next steps in America’s electoral process, including: Dec.14, electors vote for president across all 50 states and D.C.; Dec. 23, House and Senate hold a joint session of Congress to count electoral votes and announce who received at least 270; Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.
By Elizabeth Meyer
Posted 11/9/20
Iowa Starting Line is an independently-owned progressive news outlet devoted to providing unique, insightful coverage on Iowa news and politics. We need reader support to continue operating — please donate here. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more coverage.
Politics
Trump says he’s pro-worker. His record says otherwise.
During his time on the campaign trail, Donald Trump has sought to refashion his record and image as being a pro-worker candidate—one that wants to...
Biden announces new action to address gun sale loopholes
The Biden administration on Thursday announced new action to crack down on the sale of firearms without background checks and prevent the illegal...
Local News
No more Kum & Go? New owner Maverik of Utah retiring famous brand
Will Kum & Go have come and gone by next year? One new report claims that's the plan by the store's new owners. The Iowa-based convenience store...
Here’s a recap of the biggest headlines Iowa celebs made In 2023
For these famous Iowans, 2023 was a year of controversy, career highlights, and full-circle moments. Here’s how 2023 went for the following Iowans:...
