There are 83 days until the 2024 election. And we’re going to zoom in a bit this morning on two key players in those elections — Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Both men are on the road this summer, helping their colleagues raise the massive piles of money needed for reelection. And with the shakeup at the top of the Democratic ticket, both are privately expressing confidence in their respective ability to win the House — and the White House — this fall.
We’ll talk about Johnson first and then dig into Jeffries.
Johnson. The speaker has been at the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole, Wyo., this week for the Team Johnson Jackson Hole Summit. This is a confab where big donors get to rub shoulders with both veteran GOP lawmakers and up-and-coming Republicans. Team Johnson and the Congressional Leadership Fund run the event, which boasts its fair share of billionaires.
The entire leadership is at the event in Wyoming except for House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, who is back home in her district.
A number of current Republican lawmakers are in attendance, including Reps. Andy Barr (Ky.) and French Hill (Ark.), both candidates for the top slot on the House Financial Services Committee; House Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (Ark.); House Administration Committee Chair Bryan Steil (Wis.); and Reps. Troy Balderson (Ohio), Pat Fallon (Texas), Harriet Hageman (Wyo.), Diana Harshbarger (Tenn.), John James (Mich.) and Julia Letlow (La.).
Lower-level leadership members are also there. The list includes House Republican Conference Secretary Lisa McClain (Mich.), Conference Vice Chair Blake Moore (Utah) and House Republican Policy Committee Chair Gary Palmer (Ala.).
Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) are at the retreat too.
Johnson has some of the party’s top candidates in attendance, a hint at who the leadership sees as major up-and-comers.
Among the candidates in Wyoming: Tom Barrett, who is vying for Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s (D-Mich.) open seat; Rob Bresnahan, who is running against Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.); Nancy Dahlstrom, who is running against Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska); Gabe Evans, who is challenging Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.); Derek Merrin, who is trying to oust longtime Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur; and Austin Theriault, who is running against Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine).
RNC Chair Michael Whatley made the trip, as well.
During Monday night’s event, Ross Perot Jr. interviewed Johnson. Perot, the son of the legendary businessman, is a major Republican donor. The interview seemed like a biographical introduction of Johnson to the donor class, per several sources in attendance.
Johnson, however, will face some delicate legislative issues when members return to Washington next month.
The federal government runs out of money on Sept. 30. That means Johnson will have to squeeze a stopgap funding bill through the chamber just weeks before the election. This is what happens every election year, but how this one gets resolved will have as much to do with Johnson’s own future as the actual bill.
The House Freedom Caucus is demanding Johnson bring the House back to Washington now in order to pass all 12 spending bills. Remember, these are the same members who helped take down several of the FY2025 spending bills that the GOP leadership tried to move. So yeah.
As it has for months, the HFC is further demanding that Republicans attach the SAVE Act to the next government funding bill. The SAVE Act would require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in a federal election. It’s already illegal for undocumented immigrants to cast a ballot.
The SAVE Act passed the House 221-198 in July, with five Democrats joining all Republicans in voting yes. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has refused to take up the measure, and the White House is opposed as well.
The HFC is also trying to pressure Johnson against an end-of-year omnibus. They want government funding extended into 2025, with the hopes that former President Donald Trump will win and have a chance to put his imprint on spending.
But that would also put an early shutdown threat on the next president’s lap even while staffing up a new administration. This happened in 2017, if you’ll recall, which is why many senior Republicans are against this idea. Johnson can ignore the demands of his right flank here since Democrats will be needed for a continuing resolution anyway.
However, Johnson may need hardline conservatives in order to become speaker. A Trump victory will probably be necessary to save the endangered House GOP majority. Johnson would get a huge personal boost for that, and Trump can help with conservatives. Yet Johnson needs to be careful in how he handles them.
On the staffing front, Johnson has made another interesting hire for his operation. Hogan Gidley, deputy White House press secretary in the Trump administration, is consulting for Johnson’s official staff and his political operation. Gidley has never worked on Capitol Hill. He’s been hired basically to serve as a liaison to the Trump campaign.
