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Nine of the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump over the January 6 attack on the Capitol are already facing fundamental challenges — and some may struggle to hold their seats.
Trump has vowed to act against these Republicans as they run for reelection in 2022, and he has already endorsed one primary contender and indicated there are more to come.
“Instead of attacking me, and more importantly, the voters of our movement, senior Republicans in Washington should put their energy into opposing Biden, Pelosi, Schumer and the Democrats,” Trump said in his February speech.
“Get rid of them all,” he said of Republicans who voted to impeach him.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Sunday, February 28, 2021, in Orlando, Florida. Trump is impeached for his alleged role in inspiring the January 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of his own. supporters. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (AP Photo/John Raoux)
The Cheney Challenger says it has exceeded $500,000 in fundraising in an effort to abolish its unrestricted upper conference chair
Below is a breakdown of the main emerging challenges.
Representative Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
Cheney, the highest-ranking Republican in favor of accountability, was the chair of the House Republican convention when she cast her vote. Cheney, at the urging of Trump and his allies, was eventually ousted from her leadership position, but she still faces a swarm of at least eight primary challengers aiming to remove her from office.
Senator Anthony Bouchard has raised the most money to date, crossing $500,000 recently. Bouchard told Fox News that Cheney’s vote to impeach “made it clear … to everyone” that she “didn’t get a conservative vote in Washington.”
Cheney, for her part, has been defiant amid harsh criticism of her opposition to Trump.
Representative Liz Cheney, Republican of Wu, speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington Wednesday, May 12, 2021. House Republicans meet in the Capitol to decide whether to remove Representative Liz Cheney from her leadership. In Washington, Wednesday, May 12, 2021 (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) (AP)
Liz Cheney, primary challenger, Anthony Bouchard, said he got pregnant with a 14-year-old girl when he was 18
“Come on,” she said on NBC when asked about Trump and his allies’ desire to support one of the main rivals. “Like I said, if they think they’re going to come to Wyoming and make an argument that Wyoming people should vote for someone loyal to Donald Trump over someone loyal to the Constitution, I welcome that debate.”
Other candidates running against Cheney include veteran Denton Knapp, Wyoming Representative Chuck Gray and attorney Darren Smith.
Representative Tom Rice, RS.C.
Rice also faces a group of pro-Trump Republicans who are seeking his job. Among the announced candidates are former Myrtle Beach Mayor Mark McBride and Representative William Bailey.
One of the most distinguished candidates in the race is Graham Allen, who has earned a reputation as a right-leaning influencer rather than a position.
“I think President Trump showed the world that you don’t have to be a politician to be a politician,” Allen told Fox News.
“President Trump showed the world that you don’t have to be a politician to be a politician.”
— Graham Allen, primary Republican opponent of Rep. Tom Rice, Rep
“Tom Rice just forgot where he is,” Allen added. “It’s Tom Rice’s job to be a channel – and that is the voice – for the people he represents. He didn’t.”
“He has faced challenges in every election,” Rice told Fox News. “I welcome this opportunity to discuss how I have been working every day in Congress on behalf of my constituents.
“From broadband investment, infrastructure investment, waterfront renovation, and federal disaster relief, to ensuring our pro-life and Second Amendment values remain protected by Democrats in the House of Representatives, I am proud to represent the interests of Seventh District residents,” he added.
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Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R. Wash.
Herrera Beutler faces challenges from at least four candidates, including Green Beret Joe Kent.
“Rep. Butler voted to impeach President Trump based on the false narrative that Trump inspired an armed rebellion against the Capitol,” Kent told Fox News by email. “But the facts don’t matter to the Left or Rep. Butler.”
In an interview with Fox News, Kent said part of the reason for his support for Trump was that the former president had taken steps to withdraw US forces from Syria. He suffered the personal tragedy of America’s involvement in the Middle East when his wife, Chief Navy Officer Shannon Kent, was murdered in Syria on January 16, 2019.
In this Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021 file photo taken from video, Representative Jaime Herrera Butler, Republican of Washington State, speaks while the House debates the objection to confirm the Electoral College vote from Pennsylvania, at the U.S. Capitol. On Tuesday, January 12, Herrera Butler came out in favor of the impeachment of President Donald Trump over the riots at the Capitol. (House TV via AP, file)
“I started speaking out in support of what President Trump has been doing in the war on terror,” Kent said.
Craig Wheeler, a spokesman for Herrera Butler, told Fox News that the Republican Party “needs to focus on delivering conservative solutions to the American people in order to take back the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. It won’t happen if we’re constantly looking back, squabbling with each other.” Some are shrinking the tent.”
“Jaime remains the same conservative, pro-life, pro-strong frontier leader who passionately defends the Second Amendment and opposes every tax increase that precedes it,” Wheeler added. And it remains focused on solving problems in southwest Washington.”
Representative Adam Kinzinger, Republican of Ill.
Kinzinger has positioned himself as one of Cheney’s closest allies in the battle to dislodge Trump from the Republican Party. It has paid off in massive fundraising — he raised $2.2 million through his PAC leadership and campaign in the first quarter of this year.
Kenzinger’s biggest rival is Catalina Love, 27, who worked for the Trump administration at the Commerce Department. Lauf criticized Kenzinger as a “false republic” when she announced her election campaign.
Kinzinger and Lauf’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Rep. Dan Newhouse, Rwash.
Newhouse was heavily criticized for his impeachment vote and faced calls to resign from Republicans in his district.
He has at least three candidates running against him so far, led by Rep. Brad Klebert and former GOP nominee for governor, Lauren Culp.
Representative Anthony Gonzalez, Republican of Ohio
Gonzalez faces a challenger with the most funding to date, former Trump aide Max Miller, who won the former president’s endorsement shortly after his nomination was announced.
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Miller told Fox News that “weak Republicans” like Gonzalez “need to see the door and get out.” Miller said Trump supported him because he “knows I will never get off my knees, and will continue to fight for the people and the America First agenda no matter the cost.”
Former President Donald Trump speaks with former Deputy Campaign Director for Presidential Operations Max Miller, prior to his speech at the Republican National Convention on the South Lawn of the White House, Thursday, August 27, 2020, in Washington. Miller is now running for Congress against Representative Anthony Gonzalez, R-Ohio, who voted to impeach Trump. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP)
Gonzalez’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News.
Representative Fred Upton, Republican of Mitch.
Upton faced a common form of retaliation against representatives of the Republican Party who voted for impeachment – censure by local parties. He’s tied with at least five contenders so far, including two incumbent officials – State Representative Steve Kara and Perrine County Commissioner Ezra Scott.
But unlike some other House members like Cheney, who were largely sidelined after their impeachment vote, Upton gained some influence as vice chair of the bipartisan problem-solving caucus.
Representative Peter Meijer, Republican of Mitch.
Major is an Iraq veteran and replaced former Representative Justin Amash in 2020 after Amash left the Republican Party. During his campaign, Meijer won endorsements from a number of prominent Republicans, including Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, and Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark. , and Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La.
But Major’s brief stint in Congress was largely determined by his impeachment vote, and he now faces major challenges from at least three people, including Kalamazoo’s Audra Johnson, known as the “MAGA bride” for her pro-Trump wedding dress, and Tom Norton, President of Sand Lake Village.
Norton said Major’s vote to impeach “was a violation of the Constitution” because it lacked “due process of law.”
“If you can violate the due process of the incumbent President of the United States,” Norton added, those rights “may be violated for every American.”
“The Republican Party needs to focus on delivering conservative solutions to the American people in order to take back the White House, the Senate, and the House. It won’t happen if we constantly look back, fight each other and shrink the tent.”
– Craig Wheeler, spokesman for Representative Jaime Herrera Butler, Republican – Wash.
Norton noted that he placed a “strong” third in the 2020 Republican primary for Meijer’s seat and believes that name recognition could help him win in 2022.
“I was born and raised in the area,” Norton said. “I know this area. It’s my home.”
Mayer and Johnson did not respond to requests for comment.
Rep. David Valadao, California.
Valadao was first elected to Congress in 2012 but lost his 2018 race to former Representative T.J. Cox, Democrat of California. Valladao ran again in 2020, regaining his former seat even after President Biden beat Trump in the district by more than 10 points.
But after his impeachment vote, Valadao faces an essential challenge from Chris Mattis, a veteran and former Fresno City Council member.
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“When David Valadao decided not only to vote to impeach President Trump, but to call President Trump unAmerican and unfit for office, it was, to me, something you wouldn’t do as a conservative Republican,” Mattis said. Mathis added that his biggest focus in Congress will be on securing water for the drought-stricken California region.
“The state government and the federal government have reduced us to less than 5 percent,” Mattis said. “And some people don’t have access to water.”
The Valadao campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Rope. John Katko, RN.Y.
Katko is the only Republican to vote to impeach Trump, who does not yet have an announced main challenger. Katko, the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, appears to have returned to good graces with the GOP leadership quickly after his impeachment vote. It was one of the faces of a border trip McCarthy took with a group of House Republicans earlier this year.
Paul Steinhauser, Andrew Murray, Evie Fordham and Joseph of Fox News. A. contributed. Wolfson in this report.
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