Koch Network Endorses 8 GOP House Members in Competitive Races
Conservative megadonors have pivoted their political strategy, raised Trump’s ire
The political arm of the Koch conservative brothers’ network announced the House candidates it would support as it shifts its political strategy.
Americans for Prosperity named eight members of Congress in competitive races as its “policy champions.”
- Rep. Rod Blum in Iowa’s 1st District. Blum is running against state Rep. Abby Finkenauer. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates his race as a Toss Up.
- Rep. Dave Brat in Virginia’s 7th District. Brat is facing former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger. Despite outpacing Donald Trump in his last election, Brat’s race is rated Tilt Republican.
- Rep. Ted Budd is running against Democrat Kathy Manning in North Carolina’s 13th District. The race is rated Lean Republican.
- Rep. Steve Chabot is running against Aftab Pureval in Ohio’s 1st District in a race rated Lean Republican.
- Rep. Peter Roskam is running against Sean Casten in Illinois’ 6th District, which is rated Toss Up.
- Rep. Erik Paulsen is running against Dean Phillips in Minnesota’s 3rd District. That race is rated Tilt Republican.
- Rep. David Young is running against Cindy Axne in Iowa’s 3rd District. The race is rated Tilt Republican.
- Rep. Will Hurd is running against Gina Ortiz Jones in Texas’ 23rd District in a race rated Tilt Republican.
“The candidates we are supporting this fall have each been strong, principled leaders committed to removing barriers to opportunity in the federal government that are preventing people from realizing their full potential,” AFP President Tim Phillips said in a statement.
The announcement comes as the Koch network, headed by brothers David and Charles Koch, has found itself at odds with the Republican Party at times during Donald Trump’s presidency.
Last month, AFP announced it would not support Rep. Kevin Cramer in his challenge to Democratic incumbent Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota because of his views on trade and immigration.
That elicited a response from Trump, who called then the “globalist Koch Brothers” and their network’s influence “highly overrated.”
At the same time, while AFP did not endorse Heitkamp, it did release ads in June praising her for sponsoring legislation that rolled back financial regulations under Dodd-Frank.
Watch: House Ratings Change in Favor of Democrats
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