| | | | |  | | By Daniella Diaz | | Presented by |  | | | With assists from POLITICO’s Congress team
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Tony Gonzales, a relative moderate in the contemporary House GOP, will not only keep his seat (the district is not considered competitive in November) but will have gained hard-won credibility as a leader of his party's “governing wing” after emerging from the bruising primary. | Pool photo by Tom Williams | GONZO JOURNALISM In a closely watched Republican primary runoff yesterday, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) beat hard-right opponent Brandon Herrera by just a few hundred votes — a narrow but significant win for the state’s GOP establishment over the burgeoning conservative fringe. Several millions of dollars were spent in the race, which evolved into a battle for the future of the Texas GOP and the House Republican Conference, and the ramifications of Gonzales’ narrow win are going to be felt well beyond the sprawling swath of southwest Texas he represents. Here’s a look at some key figures who are feeling the effects a day later: WINNERS Gonzales: Winning makes you a winner, obviously. But Gonzales, a relative moderate in the contemporary House GOP, will not only keep his seat (the district is not considered competitive in November) but will have gained hard-won credibility as a leader of his party's “governing wing” after emerging from the bruising primary. He can thank several establishment-allied super PACs who swept in with millions of dollars in TV ads. Speaker Mike Johnson: Johnson already faces a lot of tension with the far-right faction of his razor-thin majority, and had Herrera won the primary, his headaches probably would have grown. Herrera had the backing of key House Freedom Caucus figures and likely would have joined the ranks of a group that has often frustrated Johnson and his policy agenda. Sen. John Cornyn: Many viewed Herrera’s challenge to Gonzales as a test run of sorts for what awaits Cornyn in 2026 — a spirited challenge from the right, possibly from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The issues in that race could be similar to Gonzales’ — Cornyn also supported bipartisan gun control legislation after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting and backed aid to Ukraine. With Gonzales’ narrow win, Cornyn avoided a terrible omen for his next race and found a potential (and expensive) roadmap for victory. LOSERS Herrera: The pro-gun activist known as the “AK Guy” won’t be coming to Congress, thanks in part to his controversial history of incendiary comments made as a social media influencer. Turns out if you want to take on the GOP establishment, it helps if you don’t have to answer for past videos mocking the Holocaust, Barron Trump and veteran suicides. Rep. Matt Gaetz: The Floridian who made a name for himself as a leader of the gang of eight Republicans who joined Democrats to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been working behind the scenes to boost far-right candidates in primaries against establishment-oriented Republicans. He came close, but this ain’t horseshoes or hand grenades. Rep. Bob Good: Facing a rough primary of his own next month, the current Freedom Caucus chair waded into this primary by endorsing Herrera in the hopes of recruiting a like-minded far-right conservative to Congress. But many of the Virginian’s colleagues believe he should have been focusing on his own primary, where he’s facing off against a Republican who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump earlier this week. TO BE DETERMINED Rep. Henry Cuellar: In a lesser-watched Texas GOP runoff, Navy veteran Jay Furman beat rancher Lazaro Garza Jr. to set up a high-stakes race with the embattled Democrat in November. Furman had loaned his campaign most of its resources so far, though the NRCC has signaled it might take a look at the race as it heats up. Cuellar had posted healthy fundraising numbers through the end of March, but he has steered more than half of his war chest toward legal fees following his recent bribery indictment. — Daniella Diaz, with assist from Nicholas Wu
| | | | A message from GE Aerospace: Today’s missions demand more from Army aviators. They need to fly farther, carrying more weight at even higher altitudes. This summer, GE Aerospace will deliver its T901 advanced engine that will power the Black Hawk helicopter to do more today and into the future. Tell Congress to fully fund the T901 engine program so the Army can meet today’s missions. | | | GOOD EVENING! Welcome to Inside Congress, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Wednesday, May 29, where we’re wondering about the backstory of this engagement ring advertised for sale in Rayburn. CARDIN’S BALTIMORE BRIDGE UPDATE Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) doesn’t anticipate any immediate need for a supplemental appropriation dedicated to rebuilding the fallen Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. But he said the Maryland delegation would support efforts to refill an emergency pot of money that’s being used for initial reconstruction efforts. “We do not believe there'll be a drawdown on the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the immediate future,” Cardin told Inside Congress in an interview this week. “There'll be some drawdowns, but not a lot. The construction phases will take at least a couple of years.” That funding comes from the Federal Highway Administration’s Emergency Relief Program, which is topped off annually by Congress depending on needs — and Cardin said there are currently about 30 projects utilizing it, including the Key Bridge efforts. “If the administration requested [a plus-up], we will very much support it — and do everything we can to get it passed — because we know there's not enough money in the fund now to cover the full cost of the reconstruction,” he said. His delegation mate, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), said much the same in a statement, praising the immediate infusion of FHWA funds as "critical to the ongoing effort to clear all of the channels and fully reopen the Port of Baltimore as soon as possible." Cardin and Van Hollen are still looking for a must-pass bill to attach their legislation mandating the federal government cover 100 percent of the costs associated with rebuilding the span, as President Joe Biden has promised. “I haven't run into any serious objections to it being 100 percent [covered], which has been the tradition of these types of events,” Cardin said. “It’s a matter of finding a vehicle.” — Anthony Adragna
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. The Pro platform dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists.
Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | CUELLAR INVESTIGATION UPDATE The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday it was establishing an investigative subpanel to probe Cuellar under House rules for indicted lawmakers. He and his wife Imelda were charged with accepting $600,000 in bribes from two foreign entities earlier this month. The notoriously tight-lipped committee said the subpanel would investigate whether Cuellar “solicited or accepted bribes, gratuities, or improper gifts; acted as a foreign agent; violated federal money laundering laws; misused his official position for private gain; and/or made false statements or omissions on public disclosure statements filed with the House.” Hill investigators will also face the challenge of leading their own probe while avoiding conflicts with the Justice Department investigation, though the Ethics panel generally defers to the DOJ. The Ethics panel said it was “in communication with the Department of Justice to mitigate the potential risks while still meeting the Committee’s obligations to safeguard the integrity of the House.” Cuellar has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. His trial is scheduled to start in July. “I respect the work of the House Ethics Committee,” Cuellar said in a statement. “As I said on May 3rd, I am innocent of these allegations, and everything I have done in Congress has been to serve the people of South Texas.” — Nicholas Wu, with an assist from Katherine Tully-McManus
| | | | A message from GE Aerospace:   | | | | | We at Inside Congress are very excited about the pandas! Chris Murphy got reallly close to a very busy highway as part of his annual walk across Connecticut. QUICK LINKS Giant pandas are returning to D.C.’s National Zoo. Meet Bao Li and Qing Bao, from Michael E. Ruane at The Washington Post US Rep. Lucy McBath says she’s open to 2026 bid for Georgia governor, from Greg Bluestein at the Atlanta Journal Constitution The GOP establishment survived in Texas, but the results were messy, from Ally Mutnick, Liz Crampton and Mia McCarthy Top Senate Armed Services Republican pushes massive hike in defense spending, from Connor O’Brien And Joe Gould Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer criticized infrastructure law, now lauds it, from Julia Shumway in The Oregon Capital Chronicle Democrats Plan $100 Million Push on Abortion Rights to Win House, from Natalie Andrews at The Wall Street Journal As summer interns descend on the Hill, this resource office is ready, from Justin Sink at Roll Call
| | | | A message from GE Aerospace: Today’s missions demand more from Army aviators.
This summer, GE Aerospace will deliver its T901 advanced engine that will power the Army’s Black Hawk and Apache helicopters to do more today and into the future. The T901 engine meets modern mission demands: 50% more power, 25% better fuel efficiency, and 35% lower maintenance costs compared to the current engine.
Tell Congress to fully fund the T901 engine program so Army aviators can fly farther and higher even in tougher conditions. | | | TRANSITIONS Dani Walker is joining the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic as Democratic press secretary and speechwriter. She previously was a public relations specialist at the American Public Health Association. Chris Bond is now SVP of comms at AHIP. He previously was managing director at PLUS Communications and is a Steve Scalise alum. Former Sen. Pat Toomey is joining the Club for Growth Foundation’s board of directors.
| | | | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S ENERGY SUMMIT: The future of energy faces a crossroads in 2024 as policymakers and industry leaders shape new rules, investments and technologies. Join POLITICO’s Energy Summit on June 5 as we convene top voices to examine the shifting global policy environment in a year of major elections in the U.S. and around the world. POLITICO will examine how governments are writing and rewriting new rules for the energy future and America’s own role as a major exporter. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | TOMORROW IN CONGRESS The House and Senate are out. THURSDAY AROUND THE HILL Quiet.
| | TUESDAY’S ANSWER: Peter Roff was the first to correctly guess that Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania in the 1st Congress (1789-1791) and William Pennington of New Jersey in the 36th Congress (1859-1861) were the two other speakers also elected during their first terms, just not on their first days. TODAY’S QUESTION, from Tyler Weyant, our resident Trivia pro: With the announcement of pandas coming back to the National Zoo, we're recalling a dog dressed up as a panda during the last Bipawtisan Howl-o-ween Parade. Which committee did this dog's human work for? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Inside Congress. Send your answers to insidecongress@politico.com. GET INSIDE CONGRESS emailed to your phone each evening. | | | | Follow us | | | | |
