A second Republican is battling efforts to disqualify him from the November ballot over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Rep. Jim Banks, who represents Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District, issued a scathing response to Democratic opponent Aaron Calkins after Mr. Calkins filed a challenge with the Indiana Election Commission.
The move by Mr. Calkins follows a similar effort in North Carolina, where the Board of Elections is weighing whether to remove Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn from the 2022 ballot over statements he made related to the Capitol attack.
Mr. Calkins said Mr. Banks should be ineligible for the November ballot, citing a “violation of the 14th Amendment supporting an insurrection.”
Banks was among dozens of House Republicans and a handful of GOP senators who opposed certifying the election for President Biden in certain states on the day of the riots.
Democrats blamed those who voted against certifying the election for helping incite the attack on the Capitol that day.
“This is a joke allegation that will be quickly dismissed and ignored by voters in northeast Indiana,” Mr. Banks said in a statement.
Republicans cited election irregularities in opposing certification in some states, including last-minute changes to election law put in place to accommodate voters during the pandemic.
Mr. Banks was chosen by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, California Republican, to serve on a Democrat-led committee tasked with investigating the riot. Speaker Nancy Pelosi blocked him and other Republicans from participating.
Mr. Calkins is among three candidates seeking the Democratic spot on the November ballot.
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