Former-Democrat-turned-Trump-loyalist plans to be lone NJ objector to Biden's win

When Congress meets Wednesday for the otherwise routine matter of confirming the results of the presidential election, just one of New Jersey's representatives is expected to object to Joe Biden's victory. 

U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, one of two Republicans in New Jersey's congressional delegation, said last week that he does not plan to vote to certify the electors in states that did not follow their own laws setting rules for the Nov. 3 election. 

Van Drew, a former Democrat from Cape May County, told the Press of Atlantic City that there has been "a disrespect of millions of Americans who really do believe that something's wrong. It's not a matter of who would win or lose — maybe the results would be the same — but we should abide by the rule of law." 

Van Drew's planned tactic aligns with what about a dozen senators — all backers of President Donald Trump — expect to do when it's time to certify the president's loss to Biden.

While objecting to election results has been done by lawmakers in the past as a symbolic gesture, Wednesday's actions would be the latest in a drawn-out series of attempts by Trump and his supporters to overturn the election. 

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States have already certified the results that Biden defeated Trump, and courts around the country have dismissed baseless claims of fraud by Trump's campaign and supporters seeking recounts or to overturn the election.

Van Drew joined one of those lawsuits, when Texas challenged the election results in four battleground states. The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case. 

The Republicans' planned objections Wednesday are not expected to keep Biden from replacing Trump as president on Jan. 20.

But it has divided the party and drawn scorn from Democrats, including Gov. Phil Murphy, who called it a "shameful, dangerous, undemocratic and unpatriotic display" by lawmakers "working to undermine our constitutional norms." 

"It pains me in particular to see one of our own representatives, Congressman Jeff Van Drew, cynically siding with conspiracy theorists and throwing his fate in with the far right's disproven and crackpot theories," Murphy said during his coronavirus briefing Monday. "If that's the legacy that Jeff wants, then I guess it is what it is." 

Van Drew's office did not respond to a message on his plans for Wednesday.

The other Republican congressman from New Jersey, Chris Smith, did not respond to a message asking how he plans to vote in the joint session, but he has not indicated his support for trying to  overturn the election.

He also did not sign on to the Texas lawsuit attempting to overturn election results.

Dustin Racioppi is a reporter in the New Jersey Statehouse. For unlimited access to his work covering New Jersey’s governor and political power structure, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: racioppi@northjersey.com 

Twitter: @dracioppi