‘It’s about a duty to defend the...Constitution,’ Davidson says he plans to object Electoral College count

MIAMI VALLEY — On the eve of the joint session of Congress, where both House and Senate members will vote on the Electoral College votes, local Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Troy) said he plans to object some of the electors.

“On January 6, I will object to electors from states that failed to uphold the equal protection principle of one person, one vote and where that failure made the intent of voters difficult to discern,” Davidson said in a statement.

>> RELATED: Republicans condemn ‘scheme’ to undo election for Trump

Davidson joins Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Urbana) is announcing their plans to object to the vote counts that will be presented to Congress Wednesday.

“Millions of Americans have doubts about the integrity of the 2020 election and look to Congress to represent these concerns in accordance with the Constitution. This isn’t about overturning the results of the election; it’s about a duty to defend the United States Constitution,” Davidson said.

The Senate and House will meet during a rare joint session. If both a senator and representative objects to a state’s certification of electors, it requires a Congressional vote on whether to reject the state’s electors.

Ohio’s Republican members of Congress have been split on the vote count.

>> Sen. Portman: ‘I cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters’

Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) announced he would not allow Congress to change the results of the election.

“I cannot support allowing Congress to thwart the will of the voters,” Portman said in a statement Monday. “”I voted for President Trump, campaigned for him as one of his Ohio co-chairs, and believe his policies are better for Ohio and America. Like nearly half the country, I was disappointed in the election results.”

Portman said months of recounts and legal challenges didn’t change one result. He added that not one of the dozens of lawsuits filed found evidence of fraud or irregularities widespread enough to change the result of the election.

Portman did say he would support a bipartisan panel on election integrity that would provide transparency into issues in the 2020 election, and recommend best practices for the next election.