WASHINGTON (AP) – Upcoming elections in two House Republican strongholds illustrate the sharp elbows and vigilance that today’s anti-establishment mood demands of GOP candidates.
In California, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has a primary Tuesday and isn’t taking for granted his huge money advantage against an inexperienced opponent.
McCarthy remembers the 2014 upset of his predecessor as majority leader, Republican Eric Cantor of Virginia, who lost to a little-known college professor.
In Georgia, two Republicans are vying for the nomination for an open seat next month.
One candidate is a former mayor who takes credit for economic development and calls himself “a conservative outsider.” The other candidate is winning over religious conservatives with hard-right views.
The Georgia race will help decide how difficult it will be for leaders to steer House Republicans.