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Just 10 days into his congressional career, Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer broke with his party and voted with nine other Republicans and every Democrat in the House to impeach President Donald Trump over the Capitol riot.

Now, just days before his primary, Meijer is under pressure from a major Democratic group, which is spending $500,000 to spotlight John Gibbs, his pro-Trump, election-denying opponent.

Airing in Western Michigan this week, the 30-second ad from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), House Democrats' campaign wing, describes Gibbs, who worked in the Trump administration, as "too conservative" for the region and Trump's "hand-picked" candidate.

While the DCCC's messaging is negative, the ad pulls focus from Meijer and underscores Gibbs' conservative credentials shortly before voters have their say.

At a time when Democrats are warning voters that election-denying Republicans pose an existential threat to democracy, the party's role in a messy GOP primary has left multiple Democratic lawmakers angry and frustrated.

"There's always a danger of unintended consequences, and I certainly would have taken a different approach," Colorado Rep. Jason Crow told ABC News on Wednesday. "We should play our game on our terms, and I don't think approaches like that are usually productive."

"I thought it was a strange choice, and I called [the DCCC] and let them know," Michigan Rep. Elisa Slotkin told ABC News.

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., a retiring moderate who also voted to impeach Trump, called the Democratic strategy "outrageous" and pointed to Meijer's votes across party lines on impeachment and to protect same-sex marriage rights.

"Peter's been a strong independent voice, and he's put the country first on a number of issues," Upton told ABC News. "He's not a rubber stamp."

Rep. Peter Meijer arrives at the U.S. Capitol, Nov. 4, 2021.

CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images, FILE

New York Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the chairman of the DCCC, defended the party's efforts on Wednesday. He argued that the ad was "telling the truth about John Gibbs being a dangerous extremist" and that Democratic candidate Hillary Scholten -- who will face either Gibbs or Meijer -- would "put people over politics" if elected to serve in the House.

In a brief interview in Washington on Wednesday, Meijer accused Democrats of putting "party interest" first.

"Everything they're saying in the Jan. 6 committee, everything about how my party is a threat to democracy -- and they are investing a half-million dollars to elevate and boost exactly the same thing that they're railing against?" he said.

It's pretty galling in the hypocrisy of it all. And just shameless given their high-minded rhetoric about how they are the party of democracy. Spare me that bull---," Meijer said.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a retiring member of the House Jan. 6 committee, called the strategy "disgusting" in an interview with CNN, warning that it would help election deniers win.

Gibbs, who served in the Department of Housing and Urban Development under Trump, was unsuccessfully nominated to lead the Office of Personnel Management but faced criticism in the Senate over past comments and tweets, including speaking dismissively of Islam and promoting a conspiracy theory involving Democrats. (Gibbs said at the time that "I dont really see anything to apologize for. I was a commentator." At his confirmation hearing, he insisted, "In my service in the government ... Ive always treated people fairly.")

Democrats aren't just focusing on the right-wing candidate in Meijer's race. The party has tried to influence GOP primaries across the country -- where nominating more conservative options could create more favorable matchups in November and maintain their slim House and Senate majorities.

In California, an outside political group affiliated with House Democratic leaders tried spotlighting a pro-Trump Republican running against Rep. David Valadao, another one of the 10 GOP members who voted to impeach Trump. (Valadao survived his primary two weeks ago and advanced to the general election through Californias top-two system.)

In Colorado, the Democratic leadership-aligned Senate Majority PAC spent millions ahead of the primary last month to portray Joe ODea, a Republican seeking to unseat Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, as a moderate compared to the more conservative Ron Hanks -- which was ultimately unsuccessful. O'Dea said Democrats were "propping up Ron Hanks in a desperate attempt to save" Bennet in November.

And Democrats in Pennsylvania, ahead of the states GOP primary in early June, elevated Doug Mastriano, who was linked to Trumps effort to challenge the 2020 election and the Capitol attack. (Mastriano was at the Capitol that day but insists he left because of the violence.) He will face Democratic state Attorney General Josh Shapiro in November.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney speaks during a news conference in the Capitol, Feb. 8, 2022, in Washington, D.C.

CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images, FILE

Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., tweeted this week that he was disgusted that the DCCC has been using its funds -- including membership dues paid by lawmakers -- to boost Trump-endorsed candidates, particularly the far-right opponent of one of the most honorable Republicans in Congress.

Helen Kalla, a spokesperson for the DCCC, told ABC News the group was laser focused on holding the House majority, which we will accomplish by fighting for every competitive seat.

[Minority Leader] Kevin McCarthy is an anti-choice insurrectionist coddler and conspiracy enabler, and we will do what it takes to keep the speakers gavel out of his hands, Kalla said.

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Democrats blast the party for spotlighting challenger to Republican who voted to impeach Trump - ABC News

Biden makes first public appearance after negative COVID-19 test

President Joe Biden made his first public appearance after testing negative for COVID-19 but is still working out of the Oval Office.

Ariana Triggs, Associated Press

LANSING The biggest statewide race in the Aug. 2 primary is the Republican contest to see who will go up against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Nov. 8.

There are five candidates on the ballot, after five others were disqualified in May for submitting too many forged signatures, in a scandal the former candidates are blaming on unscrupulous signature gatherers and some of the companies that hired them.

One of the disqualified candidates, former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, is continuing to campaign as a write-in candidate.

On the Democratic side, Whitmer, who is seeking a second four-year term, is the only choice.

Republican challengers to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson were endorsedat a state party convention and do not compete in a primary.

Here is a look at the Republicans on the primary ballot.

Residence: Norton Shores, Muskegon County

Age: 45

Occupation: Dixon has worked in the steel industry and in media, including a stint as a conservative commentator on cable TV's "Real America's Voice."

Issues: Dixon is highly critical of Whitmer's handling of the pandemic, saying too many businesses were closed for too long and children suffered from a lack of in-person learning. She also says nursing home residents, including her own grandmother, suffered needlessly as a result of excessive restrictions on family visits. On education, Dixon believes Michigan's per-pupil grant should follow the student, including to private schools, which would require a constitutional amendment. She is alone among the five candidates in not calling for big cuts to higher education spending. Early in the campaign, Dixon said changes in election practices in Michigan created the potential for fraud, but did not say fraud affected outcomes. Later, she said she believes former President Donald Trump was the rightful winner of the presidential election. Dixon opposes abortion rights, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology, University of Kentucky.

Family: Married with four children.

Endorsements: The DeVos family, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Police Officers Association of Michigan,Conservative Political Action Conference, U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, U.S. Rep Lisa McClain, Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, former Gov. John Engler.

Website:https://www.tudordixon.com/

Free Press profile:https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/01/12/tudor-dixon-michigan-governor-republican-candidate/6002813001/

Residence: Allendale Township, Ottawa County.

Age: 41

Occupation: Real estate broker

Issues: Kelley was a leader in the fight against Whitmer's pandemic orders and also active in the "Stop the Steal" movement promoting, without evidence, claims that fraud tilted the election outcome in favor of President Joe Biden. Kelley, who faces misdemeanor charges arising from his presence at the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot, says he would declare the COVID-19 pandemic over on his first day as governor, favor a reversal of the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage, and eliminate all government jobs related to "diversity, equity, and inclusion." He says he would also move the state to zero-based budgeting where each agency would have to justify its annual expenditures as if starting from scratch, sharply reduce Michigan's 6% corporate income taxand ban abortions except to save the life of the mother, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Enter your address for information on which races and candidates will be on your ballot for the Michigan primary election on Aug. 2.

Education: Studied electronics engineering at Grand Rapids Community College, but did not graduate.

Family: Married with six children.

Endorsements: National Firearms Coalition, Michigan Coalition for Freedom, Michigan Health Choice Alliance PAC, American Patriots Forum, former state Sen. Patrick Colbeck, former state Rep. Kevin Green.

Website:https://ryandkelley.com/

Free Press profile:https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/07/19/ryan-kelley-republican-candidate-governor-michigan/7687125001/

Residence: Farmington Hills, Oakland County

Age: 64

Occupation: Retired pastor, police chaplain.

Issues: Rebandt says he wants to make the Bible the primary textbook in public schools a change that would be prohibited under the U.S. Supreme Court's current interpretation of the establishment clause of the constitution. He says he would eliminate state funding for public universities, though unspecified amounts would be allocated to students to use at the post-secondary school of their choice. He favors releasing more non-violent offenders from prison and says the state could save money by relying more on faith-based organizations to work with offenders. Rebandt says Trump was the rightful winner of the presidential election and filed a notarized statement with the Legislature alleging he witnessed illegal activity while observing the counting of absentee ballots in Detroit. Similar claims were rejected by Michigan courts.Rebandt opposes abortion rights, with no exceptions.

More: Most Michigan GOP governor candidates would have nixed $600M incentive GM received

More: GOP candidates for governor attack one another at Oakland University debate

Education: Bachelor's Degree in religious education from Pennsylvania's Summit University; master'sin religious education and master of divinity from Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia.

Family: Married with four grown children.

Endorsements: Southeastern Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police, My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell, Michigan Health Choice Alliance PAC.

Website:https://www.ralphrebandtforgovernor.com/

Free Press profile:https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/07/11/ralph-rebandt-michigan-governor-candidate-republican/7687064001/

Residence: Bloomfield Township, Oakland County.

Age: 61

Occupation: Businessman.

Issues: Rinke would eliminate the state income tax, which brings in close to $13 billion a year. He has not specified what if any programs he would eliminate, but says significant recent increases in the overall budget would make the change more manageable and economic growth resulting from the change would generate additional state revenue. Though he has pointed to voter fraud and ran a TV ad about dead Democrats voting, Rinke is alone among the five candidates in declining to say that Trump was the rightful winner of the 2020 presidential election. He's critical of Whitmer's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic for reasons similar to those voiced by the other Republican candidates. Rinke would allow tax credits for donations to private schools. On abortion, Rinke also stands alone in the GOP primary field in favoring exceptions to an abortion banin cases of rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother.

Education: Bachelor's degree, Michigan State University.

Family: Married with three grown children.

Endorsements: Former gubernatorial candidate and Michigan State Police Capt. Mike Brown, Michigan-born rocker Ted Nugent, conservative broadcaster and author Hugh Hewitt, former state Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker.

Website:https://rinkeformichigan.com/

Free Press profile:https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/04/04/kevin-rinke-michigan-republican-candidate-governor/6597335001/

Residence: Texas Township, Kalamazoo County.

Age: 44

Occupation: Chiropractor.

Issues: An early leader of groups opposing Whitmer's management of thepandemic, Soldano says he opposes vaccine mandates, even when imposed by private employers. Though he is the only GOP gubernatorial candidate who says he would have agreed to pay GM the more than $600 million in incentives the state has promised itto help attract $7 billion in investment and two new Michigan manufacturing plants, Soldano says he generally favors lower taxes and regulations over direct incentives. On education, hesays he favors parental choice and parental rights over "partisan teachers' unions," and, like the other four candidates, wouldban critical race theory. He wants to eliminate the personal income tax and further reduce corporate taxes but said any spending cuts would first be identified through "forensic accounting."Soldano believes Trump won the 2020 presidential election and opposes abortion rights, with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Western Michigan University.

Family: Married father of two.

Endorsements: This information has been requested from the campaign.

Website:https://garrettformichigan.com/home/

Free Press profile:https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/06/29/garrett-soldano-republican-candidate-michigan-governor/7566053001/

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com.Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.

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Michigan governor race 2022: Meet the Republican candidates - Detroit Free Press

This past weekend, Florida governor Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio, both of whom are up for reelection this fall, headlined the Republican Party of Floridas annual Sunshine Summit. Other high-profile Florida Republicans were also in attendance at the Hardrock Hotel & Casino event, which this year tried something new: after seven years of being open to the press, it limited which media could attend, giving inside-the-room access to right-wing outlets that give the governor positive coverage, Politico reports, adding that traditional GOP figures were largely replaced by the conservative social media influencers with massive followings who have recently moved to Florida and become some of DeSantis most vocal backers.

Many local and national mainstream outlets were unable to get press credentials, according to the Tallahassee Democrat, including the Miami Herald, Politico, Florida Politics, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. A Florida wire service, the Wall Street Journal, and Business Insider were among the few mainstream outlets allowed to cover at least some parts of the weekend:

"It has come to my attention that some liberal media activists are mad because they aren't allowed into #SunshineSummit this weekend, DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw tweeted Friday. "My message to them is to try crying about it," she continued, Then go to kickboxing and have a margarita. And write the same hit piece you were gonna write anyway." As the Tallahassee Democrat notes, Republicans continued to bash mainstream publications at the event itself, with DeSantis telling the Daily Wire that he wanted to avoid "a bunch of left-wing media asking our primary candidates a bunch of gotcha questions and his campaign spokesman, Dave Abrams, claiming the media tantrums about press credentials validates our presumption that fair coverage was never a thought for them.

Recent comments from DeSantis and others in the GOP speak to an emerging strategy, one that New Yorks David Freedlander defined Monday as actively courting the medias scorn while avoiding anything that may be viewed as consorting with the enemy. As Freedlander notes, Republicans for decades, going back to the Nixon years, have taken aim at the mainstream press, but the dynamic has ratcheted up since Donald Trumps political rise, evidenced by a lack of participation by Republicans in everything from political profiles to daily news storiesas well as comments from those advising them. I just dont even see what the point is anymore, an adviser to one likely GOP presidential aspirant told Freedlander. We know reporters always disagreed with the Republican Party, but it used to be you thought you could get a fair shake. Now every reporter, and every outlet, is just chasing resistance rage-clicks. Some, such as the Times Jeremy Peters, suggest that Republicans are dodging press scrutiny because they dont want to have to defend Donald Trump and his falsehoods about the election. Which could explain why one aide to a potential 2024 candidate told Freedlander that booking Steve Bannons podcast is more attractive than a sit-down with a mainstream outlet.

Freedlander cited Fox News host Tucker Carlsons recent remarks in Iowa as further evidence of the GOPs overarching view that approval from the mainstream press isnt just unnecessary but actually suspect. (A data-backed notion, apparently: GOP strategist Dave Carney said his teams research has found getting endorsed by a newspaper editorial board, even a local one, hurts Republicans in primaries rather than helps them, according to Freedlander.)

In a speech at the Family Leadership Summit last week, Carlsonwho, in what feels like a lifetime ago, once urged conservative media to be more like the Times when it comes to accuracyadvised Republican voters to be really wary of candidates who care about what the New York Times think and pay very close attention to how people react when things get out of control unexpectedly. Former South Carolina governor and likely 2024 presidential contender Nikki Haley tweeting that the murder of George Floyd was personal and painful for her, Carlson said, was case in point. You have no idea what you're talking about. You're trying to please the people whose opinions you actually care about at the New York Times, he said of Haley. I want a leader who can still think clearly when the other side really unleashes.

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Will Republicans Shut Out the Press in 2024? - Vanity Fair

MADISON, Wis. A Wisconsin judge said Thursday that a Republican-ordered, taxpayer-funded investigation into the 2020 election found absolutely no evidence of election fraud, but did reveal contempt for the states open records law by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and a former state Supreme Court justice he hired.

Dane County Circuit Judge Valerie Bailey-Rihn awarded about $98,000 in attorneys fees to the liberal watchdog group American Oversight, bringing an end in circuit court to one of four lawsuits the group filed. Voss attorney, Ron Stadler, said he was recommending that Vos appeal the ruling.

The fees will be paid by taxpayers, which is why the judge said she was not also awarding additional punitive damages against Vos. Costs to taxpayers for the investigation, including ongoing legal fees, have exceeded $1 million.

I think the people of the state of Wisconsin have been punished enough for this case, Bailey-Rihn said. I dont think it does anyone any good to have punitive damages placed on the innocent people of this state.

All of American Oversights lawsuits stem from records requests it made to Vos and Michael Gableman, a former Wisconsin Supreme Court justice hired by Vos in June 2021 to investigate the 2020 presidential election won by President Joe Biden. Vos ordered the investigation under pressure from election loser Donald Trump, who continues to falsely claim there was widespread fraud in Wisconsin and that Bidens win should be decertified, which is impossible and which Vos has repeatedly refused to support.

Even Gablemans attorney said decertification was pointless.

Bidens victory by nearly 21,000 votes has withstood recounts, multiple state and federal lawsuits, an audit by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau and a review by a conservative activist law firm, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. An Associated Press review of Wisconsin and other battleground states also found far too little fraud to have tipped the election for Trump.

Vos and Gableman have suffered a series of defeats at the circuit court level in the American Oversight lawsuits. Along the way, both were found to be in contempt for refusing to comply with court orders to turn over records. Bailey-Rihn, presiding over her last hearing before retiring, expressed frustration Thursday.

This has been a long and torturous process to get here, she said. The reality is, whatever records there were, they were either destroyed or they werent kept. The problem for this court is no one knows when those records were destroyed.

State law requires lawmakers like Vos to retain records after an open records request for them has been filed. They can, and do, delete records if there is no pending open records request.

Gableman testified in another case that he routinely deleted records that he thought were not a part of the investigation. That resulted in American Oversight filing a fourth lawsuit alleging those deletions were against the law. That case, along with two others, is still pending.

A judge next month was to consider whether Gableman had fulfilled requirements to vacate an earlier contempt order for not turning over records. And in another case, Vos faced an Aug. 4 deadline to turn over additional records requested by American Oversight.

This whole case has been about trying to shine a light on government, Bailey-Rihn said. What it revealed, she said, was that in the early days of Gablemans probe, he was being paid $11,000 a month by taxpayers to sit in the New Berlin library to learn about election law because he knows nothing about election law.

Were all citizens of this state and this country, and we want our elections to be fair and not tainted by any sort of election fraud, the judge said. We have absolutely found out from this case there was absolutely no evidence of election fraud.

She said Vos and others have shown they believe they have no obligation to comply with the state open records law, they dont understand it, they dont follow the attorney generals guidance and they leave it to people who arent trained on the law to deal with it.

Thats one thing the citizens of this state have learned to their detriment, Bailey-Rihn said.

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Republican-ordered probe found 'absolutely no' election fraud in Wisconsin - Press Herald

I try to focus on those things that are important today and the issues in my district. If it comes up, I dont shy away from it, Newhouse said of his impeachment vote. But theres a lot of things that are going on. People are trying to tear down our dams; our agricultural industry has a lot of challenges; Inflation prices of everything has gone through the roof.

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) faces a primary on Aug. 2.|Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Another four of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump retired rather than face the voters again, and two had primaries earlier this year. Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) lost, but Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) prevailed.

Rice belongs in one camp of the impeachment-backing Republicans, Valadao in the other. Rice, along with Cheney and Meijer, have all at least somewhat embraced their role as Trump antagonists, hitting the Sunday morning talk shows, participating in long profiles with magazines or taking to Twitter to rehash and relitigate the events of Jan. 6.

Valadaos group, which includes Herrera Beutler and Newhouse, have tried to avoid the spotlight or excessive talk about their vote.

I think she is afraid, Republican Joe Kent said of Herrera Beutler, whom he is challenging in Washingtons all-party primary. She doesnt want to talk about impeachment. She does not.

Cheney is the most stark example of someone who did not shy away from the vote. As the vice chair of the Jan. 6 investigative committee, she has made her support for impeaching Trump a core part of her political identity. She has appeared at least once on all five of the major Sunday talk shows over the past year and a half (including some more than once), and shes also been on 60 Minutes.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) delivers closing remarks during a hearing for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol.|Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

As her primary looms, polling has become so bleak that her campaign has begun courting Democratic voters. But Cheney insists she is comfortable with the political ramifications of her outspokenness.

If I have to choose between maintaining a seat in the House of Representatives, or protecting the constitutional republic and ensuring the American people know the truth about Donald Trump, Im going to choose the Constitution and the truth every single day, she said in a Sunday interview on CNNs State of the Union.

Meijer, a freshman from Western Michigan, had the largest media presence after Cheney, joining the talk show circuit throughout 2021 and participating in a long profile in The Atlantic.

But he has grown quieter on impeachment in recent months, and he is facing a surprisingly strong threat from John Gibbs, a former Trump administration official who received an endorsement from the former president. The incumbent outspent Gibbs by a 6-to-1 ratio as of mid-July, but Republicans have grown increasingly worried about Meijers fate in recent weeks.

While Gibbs has barely aired TV ads, a deluge of pro-Meijer spending flooded the district over the past week. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a pro-Meijer super PAC dumped a collective $1.1 million into boosting the incumbent, joining another veterans group that had already spent some $300,000.

Meijers Grand Rapids-based seat tilted to the left when it was redrawn in redistricting last year, and national Democrats hope their candidate will get to run against Gibbs, a staunch Trump supporter who is a fierce proponent of election fraud theories. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took the unusual step of meddling in the primary, placing a $425,000 ad buy meant to lure GOP voters toward Gibbs on Aug. 2 a move that angered some in the party.

Republicans have grown increasingly worried about Rep. Peter Meijers fate in recent weeks.|Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Washington State, home to two of the Republicans who voted to impeach, will also host primaries next Tuesday. But unlike Meijer, Newhouse and Herrera Beutler will each face a slew of challengers in an all-party contest. Trump has endorsed in each race.

Neither incumbent has meaningfully courted any national media. Though Herrera Beutler spoke publicly in early 2021 about a conversation she had with House Minority Kevin McCarthy, in which he told about a phone call he had with Trump on Jan. 6, she has since been quieter.

Shes not a national attention seeker, not running to be a talking head on any cable news network, Herrera Beutler campaign spokesman Craig Wheeler told POLITICO last week.

Her Trump-endorsed opponent, Joe Kent, framed it differently, accusing her of hiding from constituents, refusing to debate him and declining to hold in-person townhalls. The 2020 election, impeachment and Jan. 6 are still very hot button issues with a conservative base, he said. Its not going away. People want these issues dealt with.

Trump won her district by less than 5 points, meaning a Democrat is likely to snag one spot in the general election. But Herrera Beutler is competing with several Republicans who could split the anti-incumbent vote against her. Winning for Women Action Fund, a group that backs GOP women, has spent more than $1.5 million to aid her.

Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) speaks at an event in Vancouver, Wash.|Taylor Balkom/The Columbian via AP

To the east, Newhouse is competing in a much more Trump-friendly district against several Republicans, including Loren Culp, the 2020 GOP governor nominee who nabbed Trumps backing.

GOP operatives are feeling more confident about Newhouse after a sustained $1.2 million ad blitz from the Republican Main Street Partnerships super PAC. Polling the group commissioned last week indicated the hits were working and that Culp dropped significantly from a previous survey. The group is airing three spots this week.

Newhouse himself has aired nearly $500,000 in ads, and his recent spots went negative on Culp, who has not run any TV ads of his own, according to data from AdImpact, a media tracking firm.

I follow the race and I have not heard once that hes mentioned impeachment, said Sarah Chamberlain, the president of the Republican Main Street Partnership. Inflation, gas prices and food shortages are top of mind for most voters, she noted.

Its one thing to take the vote, its another to keep talking about it, she said. Talk about what youre doing. That vote was a long time ago. Youve got a lot of votes between now and that. What are you doing lately?

That was the tactic adopted by Valadao, who narrowly advanced from his all-party primary in June over a far-right challenger. He kept his focus on water and broadband issues plaguing his rural Central Valley district and he managed to avoid Trump parachuting into his district to back a challenger before finishing in second place and securing a general election spot against Democrat Rudy Salas.

We knew what the most important issues to voters were, and thats what we talked about, said Robert Jones, a GOP operative and adviser to Valadao. The things that matter in D.C. and on cable news are not what matters in the Central Valley all the time usually never.

Valadao, Newhouse and Herrera Beutler also had all party-primaries which could offer more wiggle room to build a winning coalition.

In contrast, Mejier is set to face a chiefly GOP electorate, like Rice did in South Carolina in June. Rices opponent, Russell Fry, cleared 50 percent in the primary, clinching the nomination outright over Rice, without a runoff, in an embarrassing loss for the incumbent.

But Rice remained extremely outspoken about Trump and the perils of Jan. 6, particularly in the final weeks of the race. He sat for an interview with ABCs This Week, called Trump a bully and a tyrant and brought former House Speaker Paul Ryan and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie two Republicans who have also been critical of Trump to the district to campaign with him.

He kept doubling down on it, said Jerry Rovner, the GOP chairman for Rices 7th Congressional District. He started bringing down people that South Carolina people believe are not Republicans.

That was like a slap in the face, he said.

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4 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump face their moment of reckoning - POLITICO