MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn and Senator-elect Bill Hagerty have announced they will vote to oppose the Electoral College results of the 2020 presidential election.
Blackburn and Hagerty will be joined by nine other senators and senator-elects, including Texas senator Ted Cruz.
They are calling for Congress to appoint an electoral commission to conduct an emergency 10-day audit of the election results in states where the Trump campaign has disputed the results.
The group claims the 2020 election featured “unprecedented allegations of voter fraud, violations and lax enforcement of election law, and other voting irregularities,” despite the fact that Attorney General William Barr has publicly announced the Justice Department has not uncovered any evidence of widespread fraud.
Blackburn and Hagerty released a joint statement Saturday morning, saying in part, ““American democracy relies on the consent of the governed. Allegations of voter fraud, irregularities and unconstitutional actions diminish public confidence in what should be a free, fair and transparent process. Protecting the integrity of the electoral process is paramount to preserving trust and legitimacy in the final outcome.”
Tennessee Democratic Party chair Mary Mancini released a statement addressing the decision:
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the election. As of today, Donald Trump has lost 60 out of 61 lawsuits contesting the results, and countless state election officials – both Republican and Democrat – have demonstrated the integrity of the November election. There is simply no proof that the results are anything but the legitimate will of the American people. The decision by Senators Blackburn and Hagerty to refuse to accept the results of this fair and free election undermines the electoral process we have relied on for more than two centuries That they would bend their conscience and character to please one man, Donald Trump, is un-American, a betrayal of the oath they took to defend and protect the constitution, and a slap in the face of the Tennesseans they swore to serve.”