House speakership battle underscores election-denying Republicans’ power

The speaker race - featuring leading candidates who tried to overturn the 2020 election - is setting of alarms for the future of democracy

The Republican scramble to find a speaker to lead the US House hasn't just brought dysfunction and a leadership vacuum to Congress' lower chamber - it's also setting off alarm bells for the future of US democracy.

The speakership battle underscores how Republicans who full-throated embraced election denialism continue to have access to positions of power. It also serves as a startling example of how a small minority of members are able to wield considerable power in a congressional system with few competitive races and little incentive to work within the party structure.