In a move that surprised few, but angered many, most of Florida’s Republican lawmakers — including U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, whose district includes the Florida Keys — voted to support President Trump’s election challenges in one or more states. Gimenez objected to the certification of the election results in Arizona and Pennsylvania.
The vote that ultimately confirmed the election of Joe Biden as president occurred in the pre-dawn hours of Jan. 7, some 12 hours after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol on the afternoon of Jan. 6, following a heated speech in which the president repeatedly claimed voter fraud had stolen the election from him.
The newly elected Gimenez, who campaigned as a moderate opposed to extremism and partisanship, is among 13 Florida Republicans who voted against the election certification.
In a prepared statement released after the Jan. 7 electoral vote, Gimenez said, “After keeping an open mind, letting the arguments play out on the House floor, and weighing their merits, I objected to the certification of electors from states I believe violated (the U.S. Constitution) after their state-level executive officials bypassed electoral statutes passed by their state legislatures.
“Though I acknowledge my objections to these particular slates of electors would never have changed the outcome of the election, it is my duty as a member of Congress to exercise Congressional oversight powers in order to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
“Congressional objections to slates of electors happen often, such as the certifications of the 2000, 2004 and 2016 elections. In the past, members have used the election certification process to highlight voter irregularities, with House Democrats voting against certification of President George W. Bush’s win in Ohio in the 2004 election as an example.
“This election has highlighted the need for many states across the country to undergo important electoral reforms to ensure elections at all levels are fair, secure, transparent and efficient. Florida serves as a shining model for how elections should be run, drawing from the lessons learned from the 2000 presidential election. It is my hope that this Congress, along with local and state-level election officials, do more to strengthen our electoral process and maintain voters’ faith in our democratic system.”
Gimenez, who was endorsed by and has played golf with President Trump, was far from alone in siding with the president by opposing the certification of Biden’s election.
In total, 13 of the 15 Florida Republicans who voted on the matter voted against Biden’s election after the mob uprising: Sen. Rick Scott; U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack of Gainesville, Mario Diaz-Balart of Miami, Byron Donalds of Naples, Neal Dunn of Panama City, Matt Gaetz of Fort Walton Beach, Gimenez of Miami-Dade and the Keys, Scott Franklin of Lakeland, Brian Mast of Palm City, Bill Posey of Rockledge, John Rutherford of Jacksonville, Greg Steube of Sarasota and Daniel Webster of Clermont.
The delegation’s other Republicans, Rep. Mike Waltz of St. Johns County and Sen. Marco Rubio, did not vote against any of the states’ electors.
Vice President Mike Pence, a majority of Senate Republicans and all Democrats in Congress ultimately rejected the challenges and certified the election.
Later in the week, on Jan. 11, Gimenez voted against the resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to trigger the 25th Amendment.
“Congress should be holding thorough investigations into the insurrection on Capitol Hill by domestic terrorists,” Gimenez said in a prepared statement. “I cannot earnestly support a non-binding resolution that would have no effect in getting us closer to the truth or help heal our nation. Vice President Mike Pence has already informed Speaker Pelosi he will not invoke the 25th amendment, rendering this resolution useless and highlighting an intent to plunge this Congress into petulant political bickering. We must stop the political charades and do the work that needs to be done to get the whole truth through the proper process. Facts matter and are worth the patience.”
