Pennsylvania's Republican Senate majority refused to seat a Democratic state senator who narrowly won re-election over a challenger who won't concede.
The GOP majority removed Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who was to preside over the ceremony, and president pro temp Jake Corman took over instead and prevented Sen. Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny County) from being sworn in, reported the Inquirer's Abraham Gutman.
The Republican State Senator in Pennsylvania just set a very dangerous precedent: as long as your opponent refuses to concede, you will not be sworn in. No matter that the *highest court in the state* already said the election is Kosher.
Here they are being sworn in. pic.twitter.com/UVaYTYCWDX
— Abraham Gutman 🔥 (@abgutman) January 5, 2021
Republican Nicole Ziccarelli has challenged Brewster's win, asking the courts to throw out 311 mail-in ballots from Allegheny County that lacked a handwritten date on the outer ballot envelope, as required by law, but the state's Supreme Court permitted those votes to count.
Nearby Westmoreland County, which partially sits within Brewster's district, did not count undated ballots, and Ziccarelli complained to U.S. District Court that her due process and equal protection rights were violated, although Brewster and Democratic officials argued federal courts had no jurisdiction to overturn a state court decision.
Jim Brewster, mensch, asked that all other Democratic senators be sworn in. He didn't want the issue around his election to take away from the celebratory nature of the day for others, according to Williams. They are sworn in, including @NikilSaval of Philadelphia. pic.twitter.com/czrC2M4eli
— Abraham Gutman 🔥 (@abgutman) January 5, 2021
