Long-simmering tensions within the House GOP are poised to inflame as members of Congress find themselves in the throes of the election season.
Ideological, political and even personal differences that have seen Republicans’ razor-thin House majority wracked with chaos in the 118th Congress are now manifesting in lawmakers endorsing primary challengers against their incumbent colleagues.
“I think every member should worry about their own race and not get involved in other people’s races,” Rep. Will Timmons, R-S.C., whose own primary challenger is backed by several members of the House Freedom Caucus, told Fox News Digital. “But unfortunately, there’s a domino effect when, you know, he makes decisions to get involved in other people’s races. It’s only logical that there will be a countervailing force.”
Timmons, who is being backed by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was referring to Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., who has endorsed several Republican challengers running to the right of current members.
This election year has been marked by bitter infighting between the House GOP. One of the many battles is the runoff election involving Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, center, with Reps. Bob Good, R-Va., left, and Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., endorsing his rival. (Getty Images)
Good himself is facing a GOP opponent who has seen support from his colleagues. A fundraiser invitation from late March, previously obtained by Fox News Digital, for Virginia state Sen. John McGuire’s campaign also included GOP lawmakers like House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Reps. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., and Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas.
He’s also being opposed by Defending Main Street, a super PAC affiliated with the pragmatic House GOP group known as the Main Street Caucus.
“I’ll just say we can’t change Washington with the people who are here in Washington that are part of the problem,” Good told Fox News Digital when asked about the situation with his endorsements and those against him. “And I will say that the endorsements of challengers to incumbents started on the other end of the party, started with the liberal moderate members, the establishment RINOs, endorsing against me.”
Another notable race where Good and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., have involved themselves is Texas’ 23rd congressional district, where Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is facing a runoff primary against social media influencer and Second Amendment activist Brandon Herrera. Gaetz and Good have both backed Herrera, while Gonzales has the backing of the speaker and other fellow Texas Republican lawmakers.
Freedom Caucus Republicans are also targeting Rep. Will Timmons, R-S.C. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I won all 29 counties in the primary, and I’m gonna win all 29 counties in the runoff,” Gonzales told Fox News Digital. “Anyone who’s ever run against me has never served in public office. So bring it on.”
When pressed about members endorsing his opponent, he said, “If Matt Gaetz spent as much time trying to defeat the Democrats as he does on his eyebrows, we would be in a great position.”
Gaetz responded in a statement to Fox News Digital, “I would love to spend all of my time fighting only the Democrats, but if Republicans like Tony Gonzales are going to vote like Democrats and act like Democrats, I’ll fight them too. And anyone who gets close to me sees that my eyebrows are quite unkempt.”
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Other GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital expressed dismay at their colleagues’ infighting.
“I find it outrageous. As somebody from the business world, you go out of business doing things that way,” Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., told Fox News Digital.
Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Pa., called the electoral infighting in the conference “outrageous.” (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
He said of Gonzales’ race, “That’s a difficult district for Republicans to win. I mean, Tony is like the perfect guy for it. So the idea that we’re trying to out-red him in a primary, I think is just foolish because you’re gonna lose Tony, and then you’re gonna get someone who doesn’t fit with the district, and we’re gonna lose that.”
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“And then, you know, going after Good, I mean, I don’t think that’s right, either,” Meuser added.
Rep. Greg Murphy, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital of the infighting, “I think it’s very unfortunate.”
“I think it’s very, very sad that we have Republicans caring more about fighting against Republicans than the real true challenge we have because of what Democratic rule is,” he said.
