The curse of impeachment: anti-Trump Republicans swept at the polls

What has happened to the 10 representatives who voted in favor of Donald Trump' s recusal? Three have lost their primaries to Trump candidates, and a fourth, Liz Cheney, is headed for the same. Four others have withdrawn. Two have won the primary: Dan Newhouse by 140 votes and David Valadao because he did not face a Trump candidate. This is the situation:

The impeachment 10

Liz Cheney. Representative for the district of Wyoming. Liz Cheney has been Donald Trump's most acerbic critic within the Republican Party. She holds the former president responsible for the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and accuses him of committing "the greatest treason in history" by a president. After observing Trump's popularity at CPAC in Dallas, Cheney has stated that his party "is very sick"; so much so that Dr. Cheney sees no chance for him to get better. She has been a prime mover in the House of Representatives on the committee investigating Trump's responsibility for the assault.

In the 2020 election, Trump won in his district with a 70.4% of the vote and she won with 68.6%, but it is not clear whether she can repeat in 2022. She faces Harriet Hageman, a Trump-backed candidate, who is 22 points ahead of her, according to a local survey.

According to the New York Times, "What’s more puzzling than her schedule is why Ms. Cheney, who has raised over $13 million, has not poured more money into the race, especially early on when she had an opportunity to define Ms. Hageman. Ms. Cheney had spent roughly half her war chest as of the start of July, spurring speculation that she was saving money for future efforts against Mr. Trump". The newspaper notes that she barely meets with her Republican mates. She rather meets with Democrats.

Losers

Jaime Herrera Beutler, Washington's 3rd District. Herrera rode the Tea Party wave, which led her to represent Washington state's 3rd District, a moderate constituency: Trump took 50.6% of the vote and the representative 56.4%. Jaime Herrera made headlines after being the first mother to raise a child with Potter syndrome, a very rare condition that has, among other consequences, the absence of a kidney; her father gave her one. When it came time to vote on Trump's recusal, Herrera said, "I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm taking the side of the truth".

In the primary, Herrera has been defeated by America First candidate Joe Kent. His claim was: "Help me replace the last RINO, Jaime Herrera Beutler". It didn't take him much more to knock her out of the race for re-election.

Conservative, but not too much

Peter Meijer, Michigan 3rd District. Meijer was elected in 2020, and replaces Justin Amash, a Republican-turned-Independent. Meijer runs as a conservative, although he has voted for some Democratic compromise measures. This is the case of the law that forces the federal government to recognize gay marriages, or the latest gun control law promoted by Joe Biden.

The representative voted to create the Jan. 6 committee, and voted to 'impeach' Trump. In his statement in favor of Trump's recusal, he said, "The one man who could have restored order, prevented the deaths of five Americans including a Capitol police officer, and avoided the desecration of our Capitol, shrank from leadership when our country needed it most". Meijer has lost the primary to John Gibbs, who was previously part of the Trump Administration.

Tom Rice, 7th District of South Carolina. Rice is one of the first to fall to a Trump-backed candidate - Russell Fry, who won more than half of the vote (51.1%), to Rice's 24.6%.

It is a case different from others, as Rice is an early Trumpist. In its January 13, 2021 press release said Congressman: "I have backed this President through thick and thin for four years. I campaigned for him and voted for him twice. But, this utter failure is inexcusable", he said of the assault on jan 6th. Interestingly, Rice obtained a higher percentage of votes than President Trump.

Retiring

Anthony Gonzalez, Ohio 16th District. González had a successful career as a soccer player. He studied philosophy and entered politics. He was elected representative in 2018 and 2020, and has announced his retirement for the 2022 elections. Gonzalez voted to recuse Trump and these were his reasons: Trump "helped organize and incite a mob that attacked the United States Congress in an attempt to prevent us from completing our solemn duties as prescribed by the Constitution".

John Katko, 24th District of New York. Katko has been in the House of Representatives since he was elected in 2016. He is the co-leader of the Tuesday Group, which coordinates the political action of moderate Republicans. Katko has voted with the Democrats on some important issues.

He is part of the 35 Republican representatives who pushed for the Jan. 6 committee, and of 'the impeachment 10'. He has withdrawn from the race to win the Republican primary.

A new platform

Adam Kinzinger, 16th District of Illinois. The Army pilot released a statement, saying, "There is no doubt in my mind that the President of the United States broke his oath in office, and incited this insurrection". Consequently, he voted in favor of the recusal of the former president in the second impeachment against him. He is part of the Committee investigating his performance in the assault on the Capitol.

Kinzinger is not running for re-election. He is now busy launching a new policy platform, called Keep Country First Policy Action . The goal is to search across the country for "a new generation of pro-freedom, pro-democracy leaders" who will fight "the toxic partisanship" that plagues institutions, from a "center-right" point of view. It is a platform against the MAGA branch of the party.

Fred Upton, Michigan 6th District. Upton is one of Capitol Hill's most senior politicians. He has been in the House of Representatives since 1987; when he retires he will have been 36 years old; he has not been able to resist the curse of 'the impeachment 10', and is retiring. It belongs to a moderate district, in which in the last election Trump won 51.3% of the votes.

Wins by 140 votes

Dan Newhouse, Washington 4th District. Newhouse is, along with Valadao, one of those who have been saved from burning. In fact, it is celebrated by several media, such as the NYT o NBC . Dan Newhouse wins the primary in a district where he has won for four consecutive elections. In terms of money, he has far surpassed his Trumpist rival: He has obtained 1.6 million dollars, compared to 0.3 million dollars for his rival.

But in votes, the situation changes. Newhouse's lead is slim: 35,628 to 35,488: That's 140 votes difference, which is 0.1% of the total votes cast. In the 2020 election, Trump took 58% of the vote, to Biden's 39%. The congressman criticized President Trump's "inaction" in the face of the assault.

Valadao, The pardoned

David Valadao, 21st District of California. David Valadao is the only one of the 'impeachment 10' who has renewed his party's favor with some slack. He entered the House of Representatives in the 2012 election, lost in 2018, but re-entered in 2021. But he is the only one Donald Trump has not challenged with a candidate of his own. Politico is so surprised by this affair, it even publishes a story about him, saying: "Meet the House Republican who impeached Trump and escaped his fury". He got the nomination in June.

That does not mean that it will become just another voice in Congress. The last poll for the district shows that the Democratic candidate, Rudy Salas, has an 8-point lead over him.