By Dustin Howard
The Washington Post’s headline on the story read, “One last indignity: The tea party swipes John Boehner’s seat”. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) resigned amid a contentious budget process last year. In a field of sixteen candidates, Warren Davidson prevailed with a decisive 32.3 percent of the vote. Davidson was endorsed by a coalition ranging from Ohio’s Congressman Jim Jordan and prominent local Tea Party leader Ann Becker to national conservative groups like the Club for Growth and Senate Conservatives Fund.
Nearly 26 years ago, Ohio sent John Boehner to Washington, where over time joined the establishment and grew out of touch with Ohio. Now, Ohio Republicans move to send a Tea Party candidate, the very sort that vexed the Speaker so to represent them in Washington. Granted, the conservative, former Army Ranger still must clear a special election, but in an R +14 district, that isn’t such a heavy lift.
The runner-up was backed by more moderate groups according to the Post, but lost by nearly nine points. Whether the former Speaker is enjoying golf in Florida, attending at a Capitol Hill function or hanging around his old stomping grounds in Ohio, one wonders: How does citizen John Boehner feel about being replaced by what he so often fought?
Dustin Howard is a contributing editor to Americans for Limited Government
