Michigan Rep. Meijer, Who Voted to Impeach Trump, Loses in GOP Primary

In a race that received widespread national attention and generated millions of dollars in spending, Donald Trump-endorsed Republican challenger John Gibbs stunned Rep. Peter Meijer in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District primary on Aug. 2.

It was another test for the House GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach Trump following the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.

Meijer, whose surname is familiar because of his family’s national supercenter chain that’s based in Michigan, was the only freshman legislator in the group of 10 House Republicans who chose to impeach the president in the final days of his administration.

Rep. Peter Meijer inserts his ballot into the voting machine at a precinct in Grand Rapids, Mich., on August 2. (Jeff Louderback/Epoch Times)

In Washington state, hours after Meijer was defeated, two additional Trump impeachment voters won their respective primaries. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler and Rep. Dan Newhouse held off their Trump-backed challengers in districts considered moderate.

Among the 10 House Republicans who supported impeachment, four decided not to seek reelection. Of the other, Rep. Tom Rice lost his primary in South Carolina by around 27 percentage points to Trump-endorsed challenger Russell Fry. California Rep. David Valadao prevailed in his primary.

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is the final House Republican who voted for Trump’s impeachment to face a primary. Cheney is vice chair of the committee investigating the Jan. 6 events at the U.S. Capitol. Wyoming’s primary is Aug. 16.

Before the results were announced, Roll Call elections analyst Nathan Gonzales told reporters that the Aug. 2 primaries “could confirm an emerging trend: Republicans who voted to impeach Trump either don’t seek reelection or lose in traditional primaries.”

“Pro-impeachment Republicans who have the luxury of running in states with nontraditional primaries [and don’t have to rely on support from base GOP voters] have a chance

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