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More than 90 GOP members of Congress bucked former President Donald Trump this year by sending campaign donations to their Republican colleagues facing Trump-backed primary challengers.
Five Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol are facing primary challengers this month and they have all received PAC donations from other GOP members of Congress, according to an analysis of campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Former members have also showed their support, with 22 donating to the pro-impeachment Republicans through their leadership PACs or former campaign accounts. Former House Speaker Paul Ryan lead the pack with campaign donations to all four House Republicans facing primary challengers.
PAC donation limits range from $2,000 to $5,000 per election depending on the type of PAC, so these donations are just small fractions of the lawmakers’ campaign hauls. But they are shows of support for lawmakers who defied Trump even as Trump continues to be the de facto leader of the Republican Party.
Republican leaders also broke with Trump in some of the upcoming primaries. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s PAC donated to both Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer and Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse’s campaigns. Meijer, Newhouse and Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler also received donations from PACs tied to House Minority Whip Steve Scalise. All three lawmakers are facing primaries on Tuesday.
National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Emmer’s PAC gave to Herrera Beutler and Meijer, even as the NRCC itself remains neutral in primaries. And GOP Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik’s E-PAC contributed to Herrera Beutler’s campaign.
Herrera Beutler garnered the most support from her GOP colleagues, with at least 60 Republicans donating to her campaign. Forty-six lawmakers donated to Meijer’s campaign, while 25 donated to Newhouse. About 21 gave to Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkwoski, while just 12 donated to Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney. But one of those 12 included a PAC tied to South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, a staunch Trump ally.
For the most part, current GOP lawmakers did not send PAC money to Trump-backed challengers, with one major exception.
Harriet Hageman, Cheney’s primary challenger, received campaign donations from PACs tied to 13 Republican lawmakers, including McCarthy and Stefanik.
John Gibbs, who is challenging Meijer, also received a contribution from Illinois GOP Rep. Mary Miller’s leadership PAC. And Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz’s campaign contributed to Joe Kent, who is challenging Herrera Beutler.