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Darin LaHood Votes To Certify Biden's Electoral College Win

U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood (right) and Rodney Davis were honorary campaign chairs for President Trump in Illinois.
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U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood (right) and Rodney Davis were honorary campaign chairs for President Trump in Illinois.

U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood voted late Wednesday to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, though he says he still has “concerns about irregularities in the presidential election.”

LaHood, a Peoria Republican, is a close ally of President Donald Trump and was an honorary co-chair of his re-election campaign in Illinois. He was one of 106 House Republicans who endorsed a failed Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn election results in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

LaHood’s vote was in question. As recently as Tuesday, LaHood’s spokesperson said he had not made up his mind.

Ultimately, LaHood voted to certify Biden’s victory. In all, 121 House Republicans voted to reject Biden’s victory in Arizona. LaHood was not one of them. The objections failed.

"The Constitution is clear—our elections are entrusted to the states, not Congress,” LaHood said in a statement. “People act through the Electoral College to elect the president, not Congress. As the Constitution outlines clearly, Congress’ power is limited to counting certified electoral votes that states submit. … Congress does not have, nor should we, the authority to take the power of electing a president away from the people. Overturning the results of the Electoral College would far exceed the power given to us in the Constitution, establish poor precedents, and usurp the will of the people.”

LaHood said he still has “concerns about irregularities in the presidential election in states that circumvented their state legislatures to make election-law changes.”

Biden won overwhelmingly in the popular and electoral vote. There has been no evidence of widespread fraud that would change the results of the election.

“The cornerstone of our democracy is the integrity of our elections and ensuring that every vote is cast legally and without controversy is vital to our entire country,” LaHood said. “Congress and our nation have more work to do to ensure that every citizen has confidence in the electoral system.”

LaHood’s 18th Congressional District includes parts of Peoria and Bloomington-Normal.

Also voting against the objections was U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis, a Taylorville Republican, and Cheri Bustos, a Democrat from Moline who represents parts of Peoria.

Davis was also a Trump campaign chair in Illinois. His 13th Congressional District includes parts of Bloomington-Normal, Springfield, Champaign-Urbana and Decatur. 

“This evening, democracy will prevail,” Bustos said in a statement. “Congress will make sure that every American’s vote counts — without interference by politicians who have put their party over the people."

Copyright 2021 WCBU. To see more, visit WCBU.

Ryan Denham is the digital content director for WGLT.