Cruz to object to certification of Arizona's Electoral College votes

• Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has said he'll object to Pennsylvania's certification, while Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) says she'll object to Georgia's results.
• Cruz, who is leading a separate coalition of 11 senators, will be joined in the House in his Arizona objection by Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.).
• The Washington Post was the first to report on Cruz's plans.

Between the lines: Cruz is choosing to object to Arizona in an effort to bolster his request for an electoral commission on alleged voter fraud early on in the certification process, sources tell Axios.

• States are certified alphabetically — meaning Arizona will be the first battleground state brought to the joint session of Congress.
• The Trump campaign has repeatedly lost lawsuits seeking to overturn election results, including in Arizona.

What they're saying: "I assembled a coalition of 11 senators that we are going to vote to object to the electors — not to set aside the election, I don’t think that would actually be the right thing to do," Cruz said on the Mark Levin Show on Monday.

• "But rather to press for the appointment of an electoral commission that can hear the claims of voter fraud, hear the evidence and make a determination as to what the facts are and the extent to which the law was complied with."

What to watch: Republicans' objections to the certification process are virtually guaranteed to fail. The Democrats hold a majority in the House, and a number of Republican senators have condemned their colleagues' efforts as damaging to democracy.

Go deeper: 2024 Republicans view Biden certification vote as decisive for their presidential viability