House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, at a press conference during the Republican Party of Wisconsin 2016 State Convention at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Saturday, May 14, 2016. (Photo: AP)
With 100 percent of precincts reporting, three-term Rep. Tim Huelskamp was defeated in his primary by OB-GYN Roger Marshall 56% to 44%. The Republican Establishment made the incumbent in the 1st Congressional District of Kansas a prime payback target after he broke with them on key votes over the debt ceiling, amnesty and budget gimmicks.
With the backing of the Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Farm Bureau, the Livestock Association and the National Sorghum Producer’s Association, the Establishment-backed Marshall easily outspent his conservative counterpart in the $3 million dollar congressional race.
“Governing was on the ballot in KS-1 and voters spoke clearly,” the chamber’s national political director Rob Engstrom said in a statement Tuesday night.
The Establishment ironically painted him as an Washington insider who “betrayed” the state by getting kicked off of the Budget and Agriculture Committees in 2012. An ad funded for by EASFund even called Rep. Huelskamp “Washing-Tim.”
[brid video=”57310″ player=”2077″ title=”Tim Huelskamp Betrayed Kansas”]
Another ad produced and funded by Ending Spending Action Fund hit Rep. Huelskamp calling him a “20-year politician,” not a farmer. In a statement sent out even before the Associated Press had called the race Tuesday night, the group, which supports fiscally conservative candidates, took credit for Huelskamp’s defeat.
“People regularly overuse the word ‘historic’ — but this actually is. Incumbents very rarely lose, which tells us that voters are demanding that Republicans in Congress work together to advance a fiscally conservative agenda to actually end out-of-control spending — not just grandstand,” said Brian Baker, the fund’s president.
Meanwhile, the anti-tax and spend Club for Growth Action, as well as the pro-liberty and limited government Americans for Prosperity, the National Rifle Association and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, all supported Rep. Huelskamp. However, the political consulting firm, who employ’s Sen. Cruz’s campaign manager, worked for Mr. Marshall.
“House Speaker Paul Ryan deliberately worked to undermine Huelskamp’s re-election bid and his allies spent over $1 million against him. To succeed, these DC insiders had to mislead voters into thinking that Huelskamp had a liberal record and that his opponent was a conservative,” said Senate Conservatives Fund President Ken Cuccinelli. “Speaker Ryan should be held accountable for his actions here. He not only refused to support Huelskamp in this race, but he broke the promise that he made to the House Freedom Caucus to support Huelskamp’s efforts to rejoin the House Agriculture Committee.”
Rep. Huelskamp rode the tea party wave to victory in 2010 and, as member of the House Freedom Caucus, was a thorn in the side of Washington Republicans and congressional leadership. Former House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, had him thrown off of those committees for not backing the party leadership on the aforementioned votes.
“There’s a liberal cabal in Washington trying to purge the Republican Party of conservatives,” Adam Brandon Chairman, FreedomWorks PAC said in an email Wednesday morning. “They’re spending big money in Republican primaries to stop principled conservatives from winning.”
While the Republican Establishment clearly sent a message to their members not to break away from party leadership, the conservative groups who have been instrumental in supporting those candidates are sending one back.
