Help or Hurt
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson was in Iowa City over last weekend to appear at a fundraising event for first district congresswoman Dr. Marianette Miller-Meeks. The two term incumbent is seeking re-election, but faces a primary challenge from David Pautsch…you may recall we talked with him on KXEL not long ago.
Pautsch has endorsements from the likes of Mike Huckabee, Mike Lindell, and Eric Metaxas. He also suggested in our interview that Donald Trump has spoken favorably of him and there might be an endorsement from him.
So in a partisan primary, you have to ask…does Speaker Johnson help or hurt an incumbent who is being, in essence, primaried from the right?
I ask the question because I don’t know the answer. Obviously it’s an uphill battle for virtually anyone who challenges an incumbent in a primary. Speaker Johnson’s appearance may be to assure Republicans in the district that there’s support for the incumbent from D.C. and there’s no sense making a change.
But again, does that help with a base that is increasingly upset over overspending, and spending on bills for other people’s wars?
Should Rep. Miller-Meeks win, it will be a rematch in November between her and Democrat Christina Bohannon; Miller-Meeks won handily two years ago, so when one talks about electability, that’s perhaps another point for the incumbent.
By the way, this same conversation will happen as the November general election appears, and you see where Donald Trump and Joe Biden show up…will their appearance help or hurt a candidate in a certain district? When either presidential nominee comes to an area, how many others on the down-ballot will all of a sudden have scheduling conflicts so they can’t be on the stage, and how many will move a mountain to be there?
In the end, endorsements are fine; merits of a candidate, however, win out.
