Boehner Looks to Win Over Colleagues
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has been campaigning intensely for Republican candidates in recent weeks with his leadership post possibly in peril after Nov. 4.
In the last month alone, Boehner has traveled to 13 Congressional districts in nine states. In August, the Minority Leader campaigned for GOP House candidates in 18 districts in six states, including Connecticut, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Calling Boehners commitment to incumbents his No. 1 priority, one senior GOP aide said: An important part of the leadership job is helping the team every way he can. Boehner has invested a lot of time and effort leading up to Nov. 4 making sure we do as well as we can.
Boehners campaigning comes just as some are speculating that he, along with other Republican leaders, could face a challenge from the conservative wing of his Conference after Election Day. Rumors have swirled that Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) is eyeing a higher post next year, although his staff has denied it.
Either way, Boehner appears to be leaving little to chance.
So far this election cycle, Boehner has raised $19.2 million for Republican candidates, party committees and House GOP projects. He also has headlined 252 events for candidates in Washington and across the country this year, compared with 103 in 2007. Those 2008 events have raised more than $10 million.
Additionally, Boehners political action committee has contributed some $2.3 million to Republican candidates and parties over the last two years. Of that, $1.6 million went to the National Republican Congressional Committee, $637,000 went to state parties and other party contributions, and $68,000 went directly to candidates.