Dem
51
GOP
49
As we noted, a little over a week ago, the Freedom Caucus apparently wants to evict the person who may be its most famous (and infamous) member, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). The ultimate problem here is that she's formed an alliance with Kevin McCarthy, who is the enemy as far as the Caucus is concerned. And the proximate problem is that, having developed an acrimonious relationship with Freedom Caucuser Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Greene referred to Boebert as a "bitch" on the floor of the House.
Apparently, the planned-for vote has been held, and Greene has been ejected. We say "apparently" because the clown show that is the Freedom Circus... er, Caucus, is not in agreement about what happened. Some say Greene was voted out, others say she wasn't, and still others say the vote happened but it was a sham. The only thing that is certain is that the ringmaster... er, the chair of the Caucus, Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), has not officially told Greene she's out. The Georgian is apparently avoiding Perry, and once she gets the official word (assuming she does), she does not figure to take this lying down. So, expect at least one or two more episodes in this particular soap opera.
We don't care too much about the sniping taking place among the members of the looniest faction in Congress, except to the extent that it affects the electoral prospects of particular individuals. In the case of Greene, assuming she is indeed given the (jack)boot by the Caucus, we have absolutely no idea how that will change her electoral calculus. Her district, GA-14, is ultra-red, at R+22. So she's not going to get knocked off by a Democrat, especially since "she just wasn't nutty enough for the Freedom Caucus" is not exactly going to resonate with independent/moderate Republican voters. On the other hand, "she just wasn't nutty enough for the Freedom Caucus," perhaps worded a little differently, could be an effective line of attack for a primary challenger from the right. We'll see.
Meanwhile, as Greene licks her wounds, she will surely be gladdened by a bit of bad news for her now-rival Boebert. Adam Frisch, the Democrat who nearly knocked off Boebert in 2022, and who will be back for another go in 2024, announced a fundraising take of $2.6 million in Q2. That is a massive haul for a House candidate, particularly more than a year before the election. And it was nearly all from small donors; 81,000 of them who chipped in an average of $32. As we note above, it's possible that Frisch spent millions to make millions, but that is far less common for non-incumbents (who don't have a fat bankroll to invest in raising more bankroll). Much more likely, especially since those donations came from all 50 states, is that ActBlue has allowed Frisch to benefit from the desire of many voters to poke Boebert/the Freedom Caucus in the eye. In any case, CO-03 is going to be one of 2024's most closely watched (and most expensive) House races. (Z)