In a closely contested U.S. House primary race on Tuesday night in Michigan, Cook Political Report’s Dave Wasserman reported that former Trump administration official John Gibbs defeated Rep. Peter Meijer (R-MI).
With 84 percent of the vote in, Gibbs had more than 5,000-votes ahead of his opponent. Throughout the night, the two candidates swapped leads before Gibbs finally secured victory after midnight local time.
In November, Trump praised Gibbs and pledged that he would campaign against Meijer, who had cast his support for Donald Trump’s impeachment following the tumultuous January 6 riot in Congress. Many saw the intense contest as a referendum on Trump’s impact on Michigan politics.
The race also piqued the interests and financial backing of Democrats in the state, who sought to establish a more advantageous matchup for their candidate Hillary Scholten. Before the primary, Democrats spent almost $500,000 on an ad that portrayed Gibbs as the real conservative in the race.
According to the Cook Political Report, Gibbs’ victory ensures that Democrats will retain control of the House in November, but experts predict a “red wave” will sweep the nation in the November elections.
Under Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, Gibbs was a member of the Trump administration. He was a loyal Trump supporter from the start, penning articles for The Federalist in 2016 in support of the former president’s campaign.
Meijer, a Republican from Holland, Mich., cited his duty under the Constitution in his impeachment vote. “I took the oath that I took to the Constitution, which I swore before God, seriously and voted accordingly,” he said. Meijer was running for reelection in the House.
“RINO Peter Meijer voted to impeach President Trump,” Gibbs wrote in December. “Instead of being fawned over by the media and the DC establishment, he should have done what was right and represented those who had voted for him.”
Gibbs’ nomination was the conclusion of a good night for Trump-supported candidates in Michigan. Trump also put his support behind political commentator Tudor Dixon for governor, who handily won the primary over four other Republican hopefuls.
