House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is taking action to secure his House majority in the forthcoming 2024 election cycle by directing funds towards supporting the campaigns of vulnerable Republicans, regardless of their public opposition to his leadership.
In late June, Protect The House 2024, a joint fundraising committee initiated by McCarthy, contributed more than $31,000 to Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) despite her alignment with conservative colleagues who have sought to undermine McCarthy’s position. Boebert faced a surprisingly close race in her rural Colorado district during the 2022 election, winning her re-election by a slim margin of less than 1%.
Furthermore, McCarthy’s personal campaign committee also made a donation of $2,000 to Boebert in June, Fox News reported.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., a freshman Freedom Caucus member, meanwhile, got almost $36,000 from Protect The House in June.
During the first fundraising quarter, the two GOP lawmakers received nearly $100,000 from the McCarthy-linked group.
Since assuming the position of Speaker in January, McCarthy has faced allegations of prioritizing the interests of the right-wing faction within the GOP, potentially at the expense of Republican members in swing districts. But, the most recent data from the Federal Election Commission reveals that McCarthy is making significant expenditures to protect moderate lawmakers from local challenges, the network added.
Aside from representatives such as Boebert, Luna, and House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, McCarthy and his affiliated organizations have given financial support to Republicans who have faced challenging situations due to their votes on conservative-supported legislation in the current year. That includes a group of New York Republicans who played a crucial role in the GOP’s success in regaining control of the House during the previous election.
“Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., a freshman who unseated a top House Democrat, got more than $110,000 from McCarthy’s Protect The House in June. He also got a $2,000 donation from McCarthy’s campaign,” Fox News noted.
“Reps. Nick LaLota, Anthony D’Esposito, and Brandon Williams similarly saw hefty donations from McCarthy, Protect The House and the GOP leadership-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund,” the outlet added.
McCarthy, a California Republican, has also moved to assist several other GOP lawmakers from the Golden State who represent districts Joe Biden won in 2020.
Last month, McCarthy’s allies, including Reps. John James of Michigan and Jen Kiggans of Virginia, who represent districts categorized as leaning Republican by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, received over $100,000 in support from McCarthy-affiliated sources.
In the latest quarter, Rep. Don Bacon, a four-term moderate and a steadfast ally of McCarthy, received over $117,000 from the Speaker and aligned groups.
