Rep. Eli Klain, R-Ariz., won a primary on Tuesday against a candidate he tried to tie to ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whom Klain voted to impeach last year.
Crain was being challenged by former Yavapai County Board of Supervisors member Jack Smith for his seat in Arizona’s 2nd Congressional District.
Klain was one of eight Republicans who voted to impeach Speaker McCarthy last year, and Smith reportedly received indirect financial support from McCarthy’s allies to challenge the freshman senator.
Senate and House primaries are being held today in key Southwest battleground states
Crane cast Smith as someone who receives funding from DC’s “swamp.”
Congressman Eli Klein (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“Kevin McCarthy recently invited an ambitious man named Jack Smith to run in my primary. No one in my district asked him to run, he’s just a corrupt swamp creature who resents losing power,” Crane said in a fundraising email, according to The Arizona Republic.
Smith accused Klain of betraying the Republican Party with her vote and refusing to participate in debates. He also denied the comparisons to Klain and said he had never met her.
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“If you want to label me as a McCarthyite, that’s fine. If Kevin McCarthy would like to join the team and help bring reality back to the district, I would be happy to work with him,” Smith told The Republic.
Tuesday’s primary election was originally scheduled for Aug. 6, but lawmakers changed the date to allow more time for vote counting in case of a recount.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2023. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Arizona is a key state, with multiple House and Senate races as well as a presidential election that could be decided by narrow margins.
Republicans hold a slim majority in the state Legislature, but Democrats hope to control both chambers.
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But it’s the race for the championship that is attracting the most national attention. Senator Kyrsten Sinemawill not seek another term.
Fox News reporter Paul Steinhauser and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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