AUSTIN — Republican Rep. Liz Cheney said Saturday she would be willing to campaign for Democrats as she criticized her party’s acceptance of candidates who deny the 2020 election results.
“Yes,” Cheney replied simply when asked if she would be willing to stand down for the Democrats – the first time she has said so so explicitly.
Cheney made the remark during a discussion at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin while speaking about Arizona gubernatorial candidate and Holocaust denier Kari Lake.
Cheney, who has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump, said “partisanship has to have a limit” and mentioned Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who said he would campaign for Lake.
“He’s demonstrated that he’s someone who didn’t buy into Donald Trump’s toxin — but he recently campaigned for Kari Lake, who’s an election denier, who is dangerous,” Cheney said.
“That’s the kind of thing that we can’t see in our party. We can’t see housing like that, and I think it’s really important that we be clear about that,” said Cheney.
Asked specifically if she would campaign for Katie Hobbs – Lake’s Democratic opponent – Cheney said, “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure Kari Lake doesn’t get elected.”
Cheney, R-Wyoming, is set to quit Congress, after losing the Republican primary to a Trump-backed challenger in August.
Youngkin at the Texas Tribune Festival defended his campaign for Lake on Friday. “I’m comfortable supporting Republican candidates,” he said. “And we don’t agree on everything. I said that I firmly believe that Joe Biden was elected president.
Cheney at Saturday’s event in Texas declined to provide many details about her own plans, including whether she will run for president.
She also didn’t reveal much about the plans of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, of which she is one of two Republican members.
The House committee is due back Wednesday for its final hearing.
Cheney said she doesn’t think the committee hearings will wrap up this week.
President Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said last week that unless something else develops it would be the last, “but it’s not set in stone because things happen.” .
“We don’t anticipate this will be the last hearing,” Cheney said.
Phil Helsel contributed.