In the midst of the ongoing battle to select a new Speaker of the House, Republicans are undergoing a heated debate over whether the candidates' positions on overturning the 2020 election results should play a role in determining the next leader. The Hill reports that with nine candidates in contention, Republicans are divided on this crucial issue.

The House GOP has been facing considerable turmoil since the unexpected removal of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) earlier this month, as eight Republicans joined forces with Democrats to oust him from his position. Since then, the party has struggled to find unity behind a single candidate for the Speakership, exacerbating internal tensions and divisions.

Leading up to the secret-ballot election held on Friday, the GOP conference experienced a series of setbacks. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the second nominee after Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) withdrew his candidacy, failed three times to secure the 217 votes required for the Speakership. As a result, the conference rejected Jordan as the Republican nominee, further complicating the situation.

Amidst these developments, some Republicans, such as Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), are asserting that the stance of the candidates regarding the 2020 election results should be a determining factor in their votes. Buck, who voted to remove McCarthy, emphasized the importance of recognizing President Biden as the lawful winner of the election when selecting a new candidate.

The controversy stems from the fact that several of the Speaker candidates, including McCarthy, Jordan, and Scalise, voted in favor of overturning the election results. This has prompted former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) to argue that any candidate who backed the rejection of the 2020 election outcomes should be disqualified from running for the Speakership. Cheney voiced her opinion on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, adding fuel to the already contentious debate.

The critical moment leading up to these discussions was the storming of the Capitol by a mob of rioters on January 6, 2021. In the aftermath of this alarming event, 139 House Republicans voted to object to the election results in either Arizona, Pennsylvania, or both. However, both attempts to overturn Arizona's and Pennsylvania's election outcomes failed overwhelmingly, with the vote margins being 121-303 and 138-282 respectively.

Here is a breakdown of how each Speaker candidate voted on the objections:

- Emmer opposed the objections to both Arizona's and Pennsylvania's election results, making him one of only two candidates who did not support overturning either state's outcomes.
- Hern, Johnson, Donalds, and Bergman all voted in favor of objecting to both Arizona's and Pennsylvania's election results.
- Sessions and Palmer sided with the objections to Arizona's and Pennsylvania's 2020 presidential results.
- Scott and Meuser were the only two candidates who did not raise objections to either Arizona's or Pennsylvania's election results.

As the debate rages on in the GOP, the race for Speaker of the House becomes more complex. Candidates are not only vying for support from within their own party but also grappling with the divisive issue of overturning the 2020 election results. It remains to be seen how this contentious debate will ultimately impact the outcome of the Speaker election and the future of Republican leadership in the House.