Republicans in the US House of Representatives fear that the rebellion that removed Kevin McCarthy as the chamber’s Speaker this week will damage their 2024 re-election hopes, as they prepare to campaign without the party’s prolific fundraiser at the helm.
McCarthy was considered a critical rainmaker for Republicans, raising hundreds of millions of dollars for candidates around the country while keeping tight control over the House GOP’s messaging, recruitment and strategy to secure funds.
In the 2022 election cycle, two McCarthy-aligned groups — the National Republican Congressional Committee and Congressional Leadership Fund — raised a combined $550mn on behalf of House Republican candidates, far more than the hauls of previous GOP leaders.