“It is quite clear that our most liberal and established Senate brothers are not doing well,” said Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), Who is considering a candidacy for a seat in the upper house of the retiring Republican, Richard Shelby. “Those were the only ones who lost in 2020. And our conservatives won.”
“So it is a good sign of what the American electorate prefers,” he added.
During Trump’s years, a group of Republicans in the House built national profiles and filled their war chests defending the ex-president in various investigations and impeachment. Now, amid intense internal debate over the future of the Republican Party, some of those same lawmakers are looking to use their newfound stardom on the right as a stepping stone to a higher office – even after a pro-Trump crowd stormed the Capitol on January 6 and the Republican Party lost the House, Senate and White House under Trump.
Republicans considering a run for the Senate include Brooks, who led the effort to challenge the election results while Shelby voted to certify Biden’s victory; Representative Andy Biggs of Arizona, who chairs the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus and comes from a state where the legislature has extended Trump’s false allegations of electoral fraud; and Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio, a hardliner who replaced former Mayor John Boehner in Congress.
“Trump’s politics and platform are the party’s leadership,” said Biggs. “So I think the people who embraced America First’s policy. They really have a good chance of winning their voters. “
Davidson can seek the seat that is being vacated by centrist senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio); he could also run for governor.
“It’s clear to me that the Make America Great Again coalition is the future of the party,” said Davidson, a member of Freedom Caucus and a critic of the coronavirus strategy of Republican governor Mike DeWine in Ohio.
Another opportunity for Trump’s ambitious acolytes came on Monday when former Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), A member of the Republican Party leadership and ally of minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Announced his retirement.
No one has officially declared that he will seek the vacancy, although Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), Who has hugged Trump tightly and represents a rural part of the state, is being singled out as a potential candidate. (And more moderate Congresswoman Ann Wagner, who represents a district in the suburbs of St. Louis, is not ruling out a race.)
Blunt, speaking in Missouri on Monday, fired a subtle shot at lawmakers who refuse to make concessions. “The country, in the last decade or so, has sort of fallen on the edge of many politicians saying, ‘If you vote for me, I will never compromise on anything,'” said Blunt. “This is a philosophy that does not particularly work in a democracy.”
Meanwhile, in Georgia, Republicans are struggling to stand up to Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, who won a special election in January but will need to win a six-year term in 2022. Former Representative Doug Collins (R-Ga.), A loyal to Trump who ran a failed Senate nomination, he told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he can run across the state again. Collins is challenging Warnock or Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who has become an insulted figure on the right for refusing to overturn Georgia’s election results.
Two other Trump staunch allies in Peach State, Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jody Hice, signaled through their offices that they are focused on their work in the House.
Then there is New York, where Republican Party representatives Lee Zeldin and Elise Stefanik – who were catapulted from the back seats of Congress after defending Trump during his first impeachment – are both considering a possible run for governor. A Republican has not led the state in 15 years, but some in the Republican Party see a vacancy with Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo being criticized for sexual harassment and coronavirus scandals.
One factor that could be a critical point in the decision-making process is a coveted endorsement from Trump. Both Biggs and Brooks said they spoke to Trump or people around him about a possible offer; Biggs also met with senators and outside groups to discuss “how it would be” to run.
“In Alabama, President Trump’s endorsement is gold,” said Brooks, who plans to make a decision this month or next.
So far, however, Trump has endorsed only one candidate for Congress: Max Miller, a former White House and campaign adviser who is running against Republican Representative Anthony Gonzalez in what is now a safe red chair in northeast Ohio. Gonzalez probably put himself in danger after voting for Trump’s impeachment for inciting the January 6 riot.
Not all Senate disputes that Trump’s allies can enter are safe ground for Republicans. This is fueling concerns that ultra-conservative candidates may win in the primaries, especially if they win Trump’s support, and then complicate the Republican Party’s effort to win back the majority in the Senate.
The fear is especially acute in Arizona, where Biggs could be the primary favorite, but would probably have a hard time overthrowing Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), A former astronaut and fund-raising giant, in the general election.
“Given that [Biggs’] profile has increased significantly because of his alignment with Trump and the things that were happening before [January] 6, makes it formidable in a primary. But it will be a big challenge for him in general, ”said Sean Noble, a strategist for the Republican Party.
“I would be shocked if he didn’t get the president’s support and I think he would raise a significant amount of money.” Noble added. “But I don’t know if he has the capacity to raise $ 100 million, which was what Mark Kelly did last time.”
Brooks would have some competition on the Trump runway, which basically takes up the entire Alabama highway. Lynda Blanchard, the former Trump ambassador to Slovenia, is the only candidate officially running so far, and her campaign has announced that she has already invested $ 5 million in the race.
Still, Brooks said he saw a poll that raised him by double digits against any potential Republican candidates in the state.
“I think Mo Brooks has positioned himself well,” said Chris Brown, a Republican strategist in Alabama. “We are the most trumpet state in the country and he is the most trumpet member of our delegation.”
And Brooks also noted that the Alabama Republican Party recently passed a resolution praising Brooks and the rest of the Republican state delegation – everyone, that is, except Shelby.
“Two resolutions were passed. One was strictly about me, the other was about our delegation, excluding Richard Shelby, ”said Brooks. “So, he praised Tommy Tuberville, myself, and the other Republican members of the Alabama House. And he fell silent about Richard Shelby, because Richard Shelby voted in favor of the election results. “
If some House Freedom Caucus lawmakers made it to the Senate, it would not be the first time that members of the hardline group would graduate to senior positions. Other former HFC members include Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Florida Republican Party Governor Ron DeSantis, and former White House chiefs of staff, Mark Meadows and Mick Mulvaney.
“Say what you want about Freedom Caucus,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who approved a Senate nomination, “but I think it just shows that people appreciate who tells them what they’re going to do, and then come in in office and do what they said. “
James Arkin contributed reporting.