Van Taylor is my congressman. I have spoken with him once or twice. He seems like an earnest young man. He also is a conservative Republican who favors policies that I happen to oppose.
The Plano lawmaker also has resisted the cabal of POTUS 45 cultists who refuse to let go of the notion that the 2020 presidential election was “stolen” from the GOP president.
That has opened the door for some nut-job GOP candidates who are running against Taylor in the 2022 primary campaign. They want to defeat Taylor because he voted in favor of an independent commission to examine the 1/6 riot that sought to block the certification of the Electoral College result of the 2020 election.
I need to parse this carefully. Taylor wanted an independent examination of the riot. He voted against the committee that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi eventually formed in the House to examine the riot. It’s that endorsement of the independent commission that has riled some on the far-right fringe of the GOP. Taylor also voted against the article of impeachment brought against Donald Trump after the riot.
The Texas Tribune reports: Taylor’s vote for the commission “is a huge issue,” said one of the challengers, former Collin County Judge Keith Self. “It is the red line for many people in their vote against Van Taylor.”
If I read that correctly, Self wants no investigation into the riot. He seems to suggest that nothing wrong occurred on 1/6. Huh? Is that right? Nothing to see?
Good grief! The Tribune reports: Taylor’s opponents have also largely sought to downplay the Jan. 6 attack, arguing it was not as dangerous as Democrats and the media have portrayed it to be.
Uh, yes. It was every bit the dangerous event that we are learning through dribs and drabs came shockingly close to succeeding.
U.S. Rep. Van Taylor faces heat over Jan. 6 investigation vote | The Texas Tribune
In addition to Self, Taylor’s primary foes include Suzanne Harp, a Dallas businesswoman whose son is chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C. Two lesser-known Republicans, Rickey Williams and Jeremy Ivanovskis, are also running against Taylor.
These all seem to be right-wing yahoos who would yank the party too far to the fringe to suit many North Texas residents.
Rep. Taylor likes to be called “Mr. Bipartisan” because he works well with Democrats. I appreciate the outreach he employs with his House colleagues, which is just about the only reason I want him to fend off this intraparty challenge.