Southern Tier Congressman Tom Reed said he will vote to confirm the Electoral College vote count in Wednesday’s House vote. The vote is the final act needed to verify the election of President-elect Joe Biden.
Reed said voting to uphold the election results is his duty.
“I will not be objecting to the state’s electors tomorrow based upon my commitment to the U.S. Constitution,” Reed said.
State electors cast their Electoral College votes on Dec. 14. Biden defeated Trump by 306-232. Reed acknowledged Biden’s victory after he was declared the winner in November.
The congressional representative said he spoke with constituents on both sides of the issue. Reed's decision goes against several of his GOP colleagues. That includes Pennsylvania Congressman Fred Keller, whose district neighbors Reed’s.
Reed said, going forward, the Republican Party should focus on winning the “hearts and minds” of those who did not vote for President Trump by having conversations about GOP policies.
Overnight, Democrat Raphael Warnock also edged out Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in a closely watched runoff election. The Associated Press also called the race for Warnock, who appeared to have beaten his opponent by just a few tens of thousands of votes, although Loeffler has not conceded.
If fellow Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff wins his runoff race, their party will assume control of the Senate. An Ossoff defeat of Republican David Perdue would give Democrats an even 50-50 Senate split, but Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would have the power to break ties for Democrats.
NPR's Alana Wise contributed to this story.
