Topline
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said Tuesday she is endorsing Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan in Ohio’s closely contested Senate contest, marking the second time in less than a week the outgoing GOP congresswoman has broken with her party over a midterm candidate who buys into former President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) speaks at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum on June 29, … [+]
Key Facts
Cheney said at a Cleveland State University event that Ohio Republicans should not vote for GOP Senate nominee J.D. Vance based on his embrace of voter fraud claims, encouraging Republicans to look beyond policy disagreements they have with the Biden Administration.
The event was a stop for the congresswoman on her way to Michigan to campaign for Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), whom Cheney endorsed last week in her House race.
Cheney, a lifelong Republican and daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, said Tuesday she doesn’t believe she has ever voted for a Democrat.
Crucial Quote
“While we can say, look, the Biden economic policies are not policies we would support, and we believe in limited government, low taxes and a strong national defense, we don’t even get to have those debates if we elect Donald Trump again,” Cheney said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Key Background
Cheney’s choice to serve on the House January 6 committee made her a pariah in the GOP, leading her colleagues to remove her last year as leader of the House Republican conference—the third-highest-ranking House GOP role—and leading the Republican National Committee to censure her in February. She was easily ousted from her House seat in an August primary, losing to attorney Harriet Hageman by more than 35 percentage points after Trump led a furious campaign to defeat her. Cheney has nonetheless repeatedly stated that keeping Trump and his followers from taking power is her highest priority, even if it means supporting candidates who otherwise do not agree with her conservative ideology. Her endorsement in Ohio comes as Vance extends his polling lead over Ryan and Republicans around the country appear to be pulling away in neck-and-neck races. Vance leads Ryan by two points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average, after leading by less than one point in mid October.
What To Watch For
Cheney has said she will leave the GOP if Trump is the party’s presidential nominee in 2024.
Further Reading
Liz Cheney says she will not remain a Republican if Donald Trump is GOP nominee in 2024 (CNN)
Rep. Liz Cheney Loses In Landslide To Trump-Backed Hageman (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/11/01/liz-cheney-endorses-democrat-tim-ryan-in-ohio-senate-race-breaking-with-gop-again/