Maryland Democrats call for resignation of GOP lawmaker following Capitol Hill riots

Maryland Democrats on Thursday called for the resignation of Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) following rioting by Trump supporters on Capitol Hill, which resulted in several people being injured and four deaths.

Harris was among dozens of legislators who opted to vote in support of challenges to the certifications of Electoral College votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania late Wednesday night, after a mob stormed the Capitol trying to prevent Congress from affirming the 2020 election results.

The Maryland Democratic Party released a statement on Twitter stating that Harris “sought to undermine the will of voters across Maryland and our nation,” and should immediately leave his post.

.@RepAndyHarrisMD must resign immediately.

Representative Andy Harris has sought to undermine the will of voters across Maryland and our nation. Join us in calling for the immediate resignation of Representative Andy Harris. pic.twitter.com/UMDFQFHWMp

— Maryland Democratic Party (@mddems) January 7, 2021

“For months, President Donald Trump and Representative Andy Harris have sought to undermine the will of voters across Maryland and our nation. They have made baseless claims, filed frivolous lawsuits, and attempted to overturn certified state results through congressional action,” Yvette Lewis, chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, wrote in the statement.

The statement condemned Harris’s actions and support of Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud, stating that there is no dispute about November’s results.

“President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris won in a landslide,” the statement said.

Congress moved forward with the certification process after reconvening once the rioters were cleared from the building.

“Representative Harris’ actions have been nothing short of an attack on our democracy, a betrayal of those who he represents, and an attempt to overturn a legitimate election in favor of a wannabe authoritarian. His conduct is a disgrace to the First Congressional District, and to all the people of Maryland. He should resign — immediately,” the statement closed out. “I hope the good people of Maryland’s Eastern Shore see this blatant assault on our democracy, and their freedom for what it is, and join us in calling for the immediate resignation of Representative Andy Harris.”

The group also called for people to sign a petition calling for Harris’s resignation in a separate tweet.

Sign our petition, https://t.co/C7dn8ZBkU8, demanding the immediate resignation of Rep. Andy Harris.

— Maryland Democratic Party (@mddems) January 7, 2021

“I have routinely and consistently rejected violent protests, whether in the case of yesterday, or last summer. Democrats are calling for unity, yet also calling for the expulsion of Members who objected in yesterday’s Electoral College count. Today, some Marylanders are even calling for my resignation, which I will not do,” Harris said in a statement.

“My colleagues and I held legitimate Constitutional concerns about how the November election was conducted in certain states and felt compelled to highlight those concerns during the formal vote count.  We did not call for the overthrowing of an election. Joe Biden will be President on January 20th,” he added. “Some of my colleagues, including those still in the Maryland delegation, offered objections in 2017 when counting the electoral votes for President Trump. Congress is afforded the right to count, and object, to electoral votes, which we utilized yesterday to highlight concerns we had regarding the November election.”

—Updated at 5:06 p.m.