Though Hawley’s challenge will have no bearing on the ultimate outcome of the election — numerous GOP senators have accepted Biden as president-elect — it will delay the certification of Biden’s victory and force every member of the House and Senate on the record affirming Biden’s win. Hawley said Wednesday that other senators’ offices had reached out to express interest in a challenge but he’s not sure if any will join…

Asked if he expected to be less popular in the conference, Hawley responded: “More than I already am?”

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), however, issued a sharp rejection of Hawley’s effort.

“I do not think that he will prevail in his quest. And I question why he is doing it when the courts have unanimously thrown out the suits that the president’s team have filed for lack of credible evidence,” she said. “And Sen. Hawley’s a smart attorney who clerked for the Supreme Court, so he clearly understands that. So I don’t understand.”

Collins said she would “absolutely” vote to certify the election “unless there’s some very unexpected revelation which I cannot imagine will occur.”