Jim Brewster was cutting up with his colleagues on the floor of the Pennsylvania state Senate, waiting to be sworn in for his fourth term in office, when all hell broke loose. Brewster won his November election by 69 votes and survived multiple legal challenges from his opponent, Republican Nicole Ziccarelli, who sought to have hundreds of mail-in ballots thrown out because voters hadnt properly dated them. The state Supreme Court ruled against her in November, and on Dec. 16, the Pennsylvania Department of State certified Brewsters victory. The drama, it seemed, was over.

But as Democrats lined up for swearing-in ceremonies, the mood suddenly changed inside the chamber, and it didnt take long for Brewster to figure out why: The Republican state Senate majority was about to launch a last-ditch attempt to overturn his victory by refusing to seat him in the Senate.

It didnt matter that the legal challenge had failed. Pennsylvania Republicans, who spent more than $1 million on futile efforts to overturn Democrat Joe Bidens victory in Novembers presidential election, were willing to ignore the court if it meant they might be able to gain one more seat they didnt need to hold a majority in the state Senate.

They knew exactly what they were doing, Brewster said last week. They were trying to steal the election.

Brewster was finally sworn in on Jan. 13, after a federal court ruled in his favor, too. But many Republicans in Pennsylvania have not accepted defeat. Instead, they have indicated that their plan for the 2021 legislative session is to try to rig the states democratic system so they will be less likely to taste defeat again.