The House of Representatives is currently considering overturning the election results that delivered a first-term Republican Congresswoman to Capitol Hill.
Last November, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R–Iowa) defeated Democrat Rita Hart by six votes. The State of Iowa certified the election results after a full recount.
Despite the recount, Hart appealed to the House Administration Committee to review the results. On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she expects the committee to decide on Monday whether or not the case should move forward.
Hart’s attempt to overturn the election has put moderate Democrats who come from more vulnerable districts in an awkward position.
Do they stand with the party and unseat Miller-Meeks and risk the backlash if Republicans retake the House? Or do they stand with the certified election results just like they insisted Congress should do in the election of President Joe Biden?
If the case moves ahead to a Congressional vote, it begs the question: Which side will Central Valley Democrats stand on?
At this point, it looks like we’ll just have to wait and see.
Representatives for Reps. Jim Costa (D–Fresno) and Josh Harder (D–Turlock) did not return a request for comment by publication time.
Costa is likely safe however he votes, considering the fact that he has been in office since 2005 and recently was reelected by a 60-40 margin.
But Harder presents a different story. He flipped District 10 blue in 2018 and held on last year, gathering 55 percent of the vote. Even after the new lines are drawn next year with redistricting, Harder will likely remain in a vulnerable position seeking to represent a moderate district.
If this vote comes to the floor, it gives Harder a unique opportunity to stay consistent with his election messaging.
Following the Jan. 6 Capitol Riots, Harder posted a video on Twitter giving an update on the events.
As part of it, he said that violent extremists stormed the Capitol “trying to overthrow the legitimate results of a free and fair election. I never thought this is where we’d come to, but this is where we are.”
Though Hart and her supporters have not stormed the Capitol, the end goal is largely the same: overturning the results of a state-certified election.
