The joint session of Congress, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, certified the electoral votes from the 50 states, which was the penultimate item in the process of electing the president, which is Donald Trump.
As the names of the states were read and the vote totals were read, Harris performed the function of being the president of the Senate and overseeing the process, with House Speaker Mike Johnson next to her.
Alaska’s electoral votes were the second to be read after Alabama’s. Alaska’s three electoral votes went for Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, the senator from Ohio, who sat in the joint session with the other lawmakers as his own election to higher office was formalized.
In all, Trump won the presidency with 312 electoral votes to Harris’s 226 electoral votes.
Alaska Congressman Nick Begich III commented that he was “Honored to certify the election of President-elect Donald J. Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, our America First team!”
In a formal statement, NBIII said, “Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump, America’s best days are ahead. We will fight for the future of Alaska every step of the way. We will bolster American energy, create boundless economic opportunities, and unlock Alaska’s natural resources. A stronger, safer, more resilient, and more prosperous America is around the corner, and I look forward to championing the America First priorities that will be ushered in as President Trump takes office,” Begich said.
Sen. Dan Sullivan was enthusiastic about the snowy weather and the certification of Trump in a post on X, as he went to the Capitol.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski issued no statement and it is not clear that she was even in the joint chamber. Several Democrats were missing from the session. Murkowski’s office issued a statement about the Social Security Fairness Act.
CBS News headlined the event: Congress certifies Donald Trump’s election win four years after he inspired a riot.
Daily Kos wrote: Congress certified Trump’s win—and Democrats didn’t riot or kill anyone
Monday was the first presidential certification of a Republican president that saw no Democrats mount a formal objection since 1988. In 2017, Democrats objected 11 times during the certification of Trump’s first win. In 2005, Democrats objected 31 times to President George W. Bush’s election certification.
In 2021, 147 Republican lawmakers opposed certifying Joe Biden’s win, and the process was not finished until Jan. 7, 2021, afte citizens converged on the Capitol to protest the certification of what appeared to be a flawed process in several states.
