It Truly Sucks to Be a House Republican With Lofty Ambitions
Ooh, that smell. Can’t you smell that smell? Ooh, that smell. The smell of incumbency surrounds you.
If you ain’t first, you’re last
POLITICS USED TO BE A LOT SIMPLER. You’d get elected to local office, then a lower-tier state-level office, and then, after that, maybe you could win an election to serve in the U.S. House. If you were fortunate enough to get that far, doors would open for you to pursue major state-wide offices, like a governorship or a seat in the United States Senate. But a rotten tree has lately fallen across that pathway: the terrible reputation of the House, which outgoing members have discovered to be an unexpected obstruction to their larger political careers.
Previous editions of Press Pass have touched on the high number of House Republicans retiring or seeking statewide positions back home after years of frustration under the historically ineffective speakership of Rep. Mike Johnson (R–La.). Unfortunately for the candidates looking to move on up from the federal kiddie table, voters seem unimpressed by their claims to be ready for a seat among the adults.
Of the 21 House Republicans running for statewide office this cycle, eight have lost or abandoned their primaries.1 Just four have won their respective races—several of whom ran in non-competitive primaries or received a hefty assist from President Donald Trump.2 While eight more are still outstanding, there will be at least one more loss as Reps. David Schweikert and Andy Biggs are competing against one another for the Republican nomination in Arizona’s gubernatorial race.
What gives? Well, for starters, the stench of currently being in office. Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), who made the leap from House to Senate in 2024, told me, “It’s a tough climate” this year, noting that Utah has lost “a lot of incumbent mayors in non-partisan races.”
“I think it always has been [toxic],” Curtis said of incumbency in Republican primaries. “I mean, it has its advantages, obviously. But people love the new, shiny things.”