Lacking Trump’s Support, GOP Rep Decides Against Challenging Sen. Tillis

President Donald Trump listens as Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C. speaks during a meeting with the Republican Study Committee, Friday, March 17, 2017, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) has decided not to launch a primary challenge against Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC), as Republicans whisper in President Donald Trump’s ear about the threat heated primaries could pose to GOP control of the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, in particular have been urging the President away from supporting Walker, per Politico.

“After prayerful reflection and consideration, I am confident that my continued service in the House will best help our efforts to reclaim the majority from Nancy Pelosi and advance our shared conservative goals,” Walker said in a statement.

Tillis has been taking care to hew more closely to the Trump administration line after getting in hot water for an op-ed he wrote criticizing the President’s national emergency declaration. He eventually flip-flopped back to Trump’s side on the issue.

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Notable Replies

  1. “After prayerful reflection and consideration, I am confident that my continued service in the House will best help our efforts to reclaim the majority from Nancy Pelosi and advance our shared conservative goals,” Walker said in a statement.

    
    "Got my dick smacked. Never mind."
    
    FIFY
  2. Here’s my prediction: The challenge will still come from the right over this, but now with plausible deniability.

  3. Darn!

    (And “prayerful reflection” my ass!)

  4. We can only hope that all the Republicans running for the Senate get primary challengers from the wacky right and have to fend them off…it both serves them right, and damages them for the election against the Democrat.

  5. “After prayerful reflection and consideration, I am confident that my
    continued service in the House will best help our efforts to reclaim the
    majority,”

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