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House Republicans have maintained their majority in what has been a period of endless intraparty conflict, but now they have a new problem. The idea is that Republicans are targeting other incumbents in the primaries.
In the aftermath of the unprecedented ouster of House leader Kevin McCarthy, Republicans are actively campaigning against their own primaries in at least four primaries in South Carolina, Illinois, Texas and Virginia. The meeting continues to stir up tensions with raw emotions.
Speaker Mike Johnson has had enough.
“I asked everyone to calm down,” Johnson told CNN at a House Republican rally in West Virginia last week. “I am firmly opposed to Congressman-on-Congressman behavior in primaries because it is not productive. And it is divisive for obvious reasons, and we should not engage in it.”
“So I want to tell everyone who's doing that to stop,” Johnson added. “And both sides will say, 'We didn't start it, they started it.'”
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, a firebrand in Florida who is spearheading the effort against two Republican incumbents, Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois and Rep. Tony Gonzalez of Texas; Not moving.
Gaetz, who led the effort to oust McCarthy, told CNN: “I want nothing more than to just go after the Democrats.” “But if Republicans dress up in drag like Democrats, I'm going to go after them too. Because at the end of the day, we're not judged by how many Republicans we have in Congress. We're a nation The judgment will be based on whether or not we save the people.”
The feud highlights how the razor-thin House majority has proven nearly ungovernable, leading to gridlock and the Republican civil war that defined the 118th Congress. The battle often pitted hardliners who advocated an uncompromising approach and wanted to confront Democrats head-on against many Republicans who believed in an era of divided government that should seek gradual victories. .
But as Republicans struggle to maintain their two-seat majority, they have been preoccupied for months with internal feuds over tactics, and many fear this will only make it harder to stay in power. are doing. The first round will only heighten the tension.
Representative Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican in a battleground district, said the mood within House Republicans was “depressing” and the party needed to do some “soul searching.”
“It's depressing when your teams are against each other, because then you can't win. Your team wins,” Bacon said. “Frankly, we've messed with centuries-old norms. … And now we're campaigning in each other's districts. It weakens the team. So , I think that's wrong.”
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Republican Rep. William Timmons of South Carolina speaks during a House Financial Services Committee hearing at the Capitol on September 30, 2021 in Washington, DC.
South Carolina Rep. William Timmons is a embattled incumbent trying to hold on as several members of the hard-line House Freedom Caucus seek to oust him from his seat in favor of his right-wing opponents. He is one of the
Rep. Ralph Norman, a fellow South Carolina Republican and member of the House Freedom Caucus, said he and about a dozen other House Republican Party hawks have backed Timmons' challenger and party leader, Adam Morgan. He said he is working towards holding a “big event” for the event. South Carolina Freedom Caucus.
Mr Norman brushed off criticism from his colleagues, saying Mr Morgan would be “one of us”.
“We need to make fundamental changes,” Norman told CNN. “We're losing our country. We're going bankrupt. In my opinion, he needed to take a leadership role. And now we have someone to lead the South Carolina Freedom Caucus. . He will fight for freedom. And he will be one of us.”
Timmons, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, expressed frustration in a closed-door meeting last week when he defended his conservative voting record, according to people familiar with the matter.
“I don't think that's my problem, I think they're fighting about other things. But at the end of the day, if you don't make friends with people who vote with you 94% of the time, you don't have to be friends with people who vote with you 94% of the time. You can't have friends like that,” Timmons told CNN.
But it's not just hardliners taking action against their colleagues. Six House Republicans who are normally allies of the leadership, including House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, are planning an upcoming fundraiser for the Republican candidate challenging Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, according to multiple sources. He plans to participate in the activity.
Mr. Good was one of eight Republicans who voted to expel Mr. McCarthy, and his brash style has created similar enemies in the chamber. That includes Rep. Jen Quiggans, Republican of Virginia, who is among the allies behind Goode's main opponent, Navy SEAL John McGuire.
Rep. Eli Crane, a Republican from Arizona who also voted to oust Mr. McCarthy, says he too is being targeted in the primary because of his vote.
“You know how this town works,” Crane told CNN. “You can't just come here and make a scene and not pay for it, right? So my perspective is good. It just reaffirms that I'm doing what I came here to do. ”
Jessica Phelps/San Antonio Express-News/Getty Images
Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz raises his hand to Brandon Herara after he speaks at Herara's rally at the Angry Elephant in San Antonio, Texas, on March 13. .
The primary battles between members of Congress have become so fraught that Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise took time last week during a closed-door presentation at their annual retreat to talk to fellow members. It is said that he tried to dissuade him from supporting him to contest in the primary election. sauce in the room.
But on the same day, across the country, Gaetz rallied in Texas to support Brandon Herrera to defeat Gonzalez ahead of the May 28 runoff election.
Gates was thoroughly enjoying his split-screen moment.
“While the rest of my colleagues will be withdrawing on Thursday, I will be moving forward,” he said last week.
Gaetz vs. Gonzalez: Gaetz's 2022 vote on gun safety legislation enacted in response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which is part of Gonzalez's district. Mr. Herrera, a gun rights activist, stole that vote in his campaign to oust Mr. Gonzalez in the runoff.
CNN has reached out to Herrera for comment on this article.
Gonzalez, who represents a border district, also clashed with Republican hardliners, including fellow Texan Chip Roy, even though he voted for the final version, known as H.R. 2, when negotiating the House Republican immigration proposal. . And in 2022, Texas Republicans voted with a minority in their chamber to codify same-sex marriage.
Gonzalez says he stands by his vote.
“Of course,” Gonzalez said. “Look, what happened in Uvalde should never have happened. Not because he was 18 years old. Not because it was AR, but because he was crazy, right? You shouldn't be able to kill people without one.”
Gonzalez added: “On same-sex marriage, look, I'm a father of six children. Whatever homosexuality is, I'm about as far away from it as you can get. But I'm in the military with all kinds of people. I have been of service. You name it, and I see…personal merit.”
When asked for his reaction to Gates' move against him, Gonzalez replied, “Who?”
“I don't pay attention to other members,” Gonzalez added. “Enough is enough in my district. We had our hands full.”
Bost, a Republican from southern Illinois, won Trump's support when Johnson and House Republican campaign manager Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina visited Mar-a-Lago to seek the former president's support. . Still, Gaetz campaigned for Bost's opponent, Darren Bailey, ahead of Tuesday's primary election.
Gates is on a vanity trip, Bost said.
“Well, because it's about Matt Gaetz,” Bost said. “It's not about what's best for the future of this United States.”
The anger within the chamber was evident in interviews with numerous Republican lawmakers.
“I think that behavior is unacceptable. I have never been antagonized by another Republican, even when our differences were deep,” said veteran Republican Rep. Tom Cole, a member of the leadership team. he told CNN. “They need to remember that this is a very small town and we'll see each other again and they're here too. And that's a very unprofessional way to act.”
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Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez stands outside the U.S. Capitol on November 14, 2023 in Washington, DC.
And party leaders said they would rally behind Gonzalez, even as they expressed concerns about his race.
“I'm worried every time one of our incumbents goes to a runoff,” Hudson told CNN. Asked what he thought of Gates' efforts, Hudson said: I don't think that would be a factor. ”
But Gaetz did not rule out intervening in other members' races.
“I will go anywhere in this country where I can win a seat, where there are Republicans who do not live up to our values and principles,” Gaetz said. “Let's start the fight.”
The battle also exposes divisions within the Texas delegation. Mr. Roy fought behind the scenes with Mr. Gonzalez last year until they finally agreed on the Republican immigration plan that passed the House, but he did not say whether he supported Mr. Gonzalez.
“Look, we're not touching on any of that at this point,” Roy said.
Mr. Gonzalez dismissed Mr. Herrera, who has a successful YouTube channel with millions of subscribers, as a “YouTuber” and downplayed any support his opponents might receive from other lawmakers.
“I have no idea what YouTubers do. I mean, I know what I did to become (Navy) Master Chief. I did my best and fought two wars.” Gonzalez told CNN. “So, I'm not worried. I'll ask everyone to come out with their heads. Anyone who wants to oppose me, please come out with your heads.”
CNN’s Sheden Tesfaldet, Kristin Park, Morgan Rimmer and Haley Talbot contributed to this report.
