House Freedom Caucus chair backs Capitol rioter's bid for Congress
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House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good. Photo: Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.
House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-Va.) endorsed a convicted Capitol rioter in his primary challenge against a sitting House Republican.
Why it matters: It's a stark escalation of Republicans' lionization of those imprisoned for their roles on Jan. 6.
- Good said in a statement he is supporting former West Virginia legislator Derrick Evans, who was sentenced three months in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 attack, over Rep. Carol Miller (R-W.Va.).
- "It is my privilege to endorse Derrick Evans for Congress in West Virginia's first congressional district. We cannot change Washington and save the country by electing the status quo," said Good.
Zoom in: Evans would be the first convicted Capitol rioter to serve in Congress – Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wisc.), elected in 2022, was present on Capitol grounds but not charged.
- Good, the only member of Congress to endorse Evans, joins former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell – both known for their pro-Trump conspiracy theories.
The backdrop: Evans, who was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 2020, resigned just over a month into his term after filming himself participating on Jan. 6.
- "I take full responsibility for my actions, and deeply regret any hurt, pain or embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends, constituents and fellow West Virginians," he said after resigning on Jan. 9.
- In the days after the attack, Evans was charged with five criminal counts including obstructing an official proceeding. In 2022 he pleaded guilty to one felony count of civil disorder.
State of play: Miller, a leader of the center-right Republican Main Street Caucus, raised $580,000 to Evans' $290,000 as of the end of 2023, according to Federal Election Commission filings. The election is May 14.
- Evans has run hard to Miller's right, saying in a statement: "Either you stand with MAGA and the America First movement, or you're with Carol Miller and Bill Gates, abortion, killing coal, and funding transgender surgeries."
- Evans' campaign has also been marked by inflammatory comments and social media posts, while also claiming he "peacefully protested" on Jan. 6.
The other side: "Congresswoman Miller doesn't talk about her opponents and doesn't attack other Republicans, not now and not ever," a Miller spokesperson told Axios.
- "She is focused on delivering for West Virginia and growing the Republican House Majority."
Between the lines: Good has already rankled many in the GOP conference by voting to remove former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
- He now faces his own credible primary challenger, Virginia state Sen. John McGuire, who is backed by more than a half dozen House Republicans and the Republican Main Street Partnership PAC.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Rep. Carol Miller.
