House Freedom Caucus weighs punishing a member over Bob Good primary

The Scoop

The fallout from Rep. Bob Good’s primary could extend beyond his Virginia district, where the race is headed for a contentious recount. House Freedom Caucus members are discussing whether to try and expel Ohio Rep. Warren Davidson from their ranks, multiple Congressional sources say, after he endorsed John McGuire against Good, who chairs the ultra-conservative group.

It’s the latest strain in the group over its relationship with Donald Trump, who opposed Good in large part because he backed Ron DeSantis in the presidential race. The House Freedom Caucus includes some of Trump’s most prominent allies, but also ideological conservatives who have kept some distance from the former president. Texas Rep. Chip Roy, another DeSantis supporter, is a key member.

Rep. Troy Nehls, for his part, said he was against ousting Davidson. “I don’t wanna remove him,” the Texan Republican told Semafor while wearing Trump’s signature gold sneakers. “He’s one of the smart ones.”

Rep. Michael Cloud, another Texan HFC member, declined questions about the push, saying they were “private discussions.”

A spokesperson for Davidson did not respond to a request for comment.

Know More

Davidson’s endorsement of Good burned HFC members, because he’d been one of the faction’s first success stories. In 2016, Davidson won the GOP primary to replace retired House Speaker John Boehner, conquering the territory of a leader they’d worked to force out. A month before he endorsed McGuire, Davidson joined Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in a doomed vote to remove Speaker Mike Johnson, explaining that “for many Republicans, a big government coalition with Democrats is preferable to less government.”

Notable

• Good told Politico he’ll raise money to fund a recount in his race, where he currently trails McGuire by 370 votes.

• NOTUS reports on Good’s Republican critics — upset because he didn’t back Trump enough, or supported challengers to incumbents, or irritated House leadership — who are celebrating his potential loss.