Embattled Colorado congresswoman Lauren Boebert just picked up a key endorsement that revealed much about the current dynamics of the House Republican Caucus.
The right-wing representative recently announced that she would switch districts and move her family across the state in order to run in a more Republican-friendly congressional race next year; now, she does so with the endorsement of the speaker of the House. Mike Johnson announced his support for Ms Boebert in the 4th district’s Republican primary on Thursday.
“I am proud to endorse and fully support her campaign for Colorado’s 4th congressional district”, wrote Mr Johnson in a press release blasted out Thursday morning by the Boebert campaign.
Nowhere in Mr Johnson’s statement — or the press release itself — noted that Ms Boebert was not running for re-election in her own district. She briefly addressed that decision in a video message over the holidays, while not giving a reason for the move.
What sparse polling there is, however, indicates that Ms Boebert was up for a rocky bid for a third term after a year of ugly, personal fights with her Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives and a humiliating news cycle centred around her removal from the audience of a live-action performance of Beetlejuice after cameras caught her allegedly groping her date during the show. She won a second term in 2022 by less than 600 votes.
Ms Boebert now awaits a decision on her face by the 4th district’s Republican voters in a crowded primary race set for June. Her alliance with Mr Johnson will likely give her a boost, both in terms of fundraising and some institutional support, but she faces significant hurdles regardless: The chairman of her state’s Republican Party even ridiculed her move to the 4th district in a recent TV interview, and appeared to suggest that she would be a vulnerable candidate in a GOP primary.
But her endorsement from Mr Johnson does reveal one thing: The continued pressure that Mr Johnson faces to maintain alliances with far-right members of his caucus who often do not get along with the Republican centre. Now with just a seven-seat majority in the lower chamber, Mr Johnson needs to keep up warm relations with just about every single member of his caucus in order to both maintain his position as speaker and pass legislation. Democrats have shown no willingness to help save a Republican speaker like Mr Johnson from revolts within his own caucus that could end in his removal.
The House and Senate are gearing up for a series of government funding deadlines approaching in the coming 60 days; the two chambers are also working on reaching a deal on the issues of funding for Ukraine, Israel, and border security along the US-Mexico divide. Conversations on those issues have resulted in little progress so far.
Lawmakers are set to return to the House next week.
