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Republicans See Surge Of Women Elected To Congress

LULU GARCIA-NAVARRO, HOST:

While Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the White House by more than 4 million votes, Republicans have picked up at least five seats in the House of Representatives. And they're on a path to electing a record number of women to that body, among them, Kat Cammack, who will represent Florida's 3rd Congressional District that's in the northern part of the state. Congresswoman-elect, welcome and congratulations.

KAT CAMMACK: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me on today.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: We heard a lot about the year of the woman in 2018 for Democrats. Now we see the surge of new Republican women coming into Congress. How did this come about?

CAMMACK: You know, I think that in 2018, there was absolutely a wave of women on the Democratic side that came in and, you know, women across the country like myself with conservative values, constitutional principles, you know, we saw that we didn't really have a voice in Washington. And this year, you saw women from every background really coming and - coming to the table and fighting for a seat and a voice at that table. And now we have one of the most diverse classes for the 117th Congress on the on the Republican side. And I'm so excited about it.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: What do you think women bring to the table for the Republican Party?

CAMMACK: You know, I think it's just a different mindset and a different experience. People, when they go to Washington, they bring with them a lifetime of different experiences. And of course, we all share the same values as far as, you know, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. And I think when you look across the spectrum, you know, you have incredibly accomplished women in their own right, whether they be industry leaders or disruptors or military veterans, business owners, elected officials, educators, just tremendous diversity across the board in what they're bringing to the table. And I think that with women, you see folks that really are able to do a tremendous amount and produce a tremendous amount of work and achieve in tough pressure-type environments. That's just kind of how we're built.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: Well, speaking of a tough-pressure environment, I'm going to put this to you. President Trump says he's pursuing legal challenges, but experts seem to think they have little or no merit. Do you think the president should concede?

CAMMACK: You know, I think that we have a process in this country for elections, and I believe that all Americans deserve a free, transparent election. And until every legal ballot is accounted for, the president has every right to explore his legal options. And he's doing just that. And this will ensure that not only is this election a very transparent and fair election, but it sets the standard for what's next. This election isn't just about the next four years. It sets a precedent for all future elections. So whether you're a Republican or Democrat, we've got to get this right. And the president, like I said has...

GARCIA-NAVARRO: But many would say that it has been gotten right and that the legal challenges have very little merit and that, at a certain point, for the good of the country, there has to be an orderly transition, which has always taken place in American political history. It's an example to the world.

CAMMACK: Well, absolutely. And I do believe that once every legal ballot is accounted for and every legal challenge has been exhausted and worked through the process, the very process which protects every American regardless of party, that will allow them and the American people to make the decision, do we transition or not? And I do think that when that time comes, it will be a very peaceful transfer of power and there should be no reason for it to be anything but. But until that time, the president has every right to exercise his ability to challenge some of these results in the states that were razor-thin margins. And, you know, we talked about this earlier on in the year that there would be complications with the extension of counting votes after Election Day. And we're seeing the results of that. So the process will work itself out. I have confidence and faith that at the end of the day, the American people will - their will will be heard and we will continue to move forward as Americans.

GARCIA-NAVARRO: That's Kat Cammack of Florida. She'll be joining the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican congresswoman next year.

Thank you very much.

CAMMACK: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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