Justin Amash Outraises All Of His Democratic And Republican Competitors As An Independent
In calling for the impeachment of Donald Trump, former Republican Justin Amash was driven from his party and lost support from former GOP donors and allies. But as reported by National Journal’s Josh Kraushaar, the Independent outraised all of his opponents during the last three months of 2019 and had the best fundraising quarter of his career since leaving the Republican Party.
“Fun little $$ nugget: Justin Amash easily lapped the field of Republicans and Dems in fundraising as an independent ($595K),” Kraushaar tweeted.
“Best fundraising quarter in his career since LEAVING the Republican party.”
Per The Detroit Free Press, Amash’s haul leaves him with more money than all of the other candidates in the race for his Michigan seat. To date, he has raised more than $1 million for the campaign cycle and had $722,000 on hand as of December 31.
Since Amash broke from the GOP, multiple contenders have arisen to vie for his seat. One such contender is Peter Meijer, the heir for the Meijer grocery store chain, who came closest to Amash’s haul — he raised $313,000, although $75,000 came from a loan to himself.
Amash’s Grand Rapids district is traditionally Republican, and the eventual nominee will likely gain support from pro-Trump factions. The Detroit Free Press noted that winning a Michigan congressional race is “unheard of in recent political history.” The publication believes that if Amash stays in the race, he may be able to siphon Republican votes and provide an opening for Democrats to win the seat.
According to the History News Network, Amash’s decision to buck his party in the name of “truth-telling” is a decision that many others have made in the past. But as the platform noted — pointing to Colonel Alexander Butterfield, Rep. Margaret Chase Smith, and Sen. Edmond Ross — it’s a path that doesn’t often bode well politically.
“They were from different eras, parties, and opinions, but consistent, honest, citizens of integrity and character possessing a strong fidelity to the truth,” the report reads, noting Winston Churchill’s quote on truth.
“Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened.”
Whether Amash’s gamble will play out in his favor remains to be seen. Regardless, he continues to voice his criticism of Trump and the current GOP, which he believes has strayed from its traditional principles. Recently, he took aim a the Republican Senators that voted against hearing from additional witnesses during the Senate impeachment trial of the president.
Although I had hoped a few more Republicans in Congress would stand on principle, I had always expected most would ignore impeachable conduct even if it stared them in the face. Most members of Congress are quick to abandon their stated principles when power is at stake.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) February 3, 2020
