(Headline USA) Ousted former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., earned a primary challenger this week from a conservative who vows to represent the “America First” movement in Congress.
David Giglio, a small business owner, announced his campaign for McCarthy’s seat on Monday, accusing McCarthy of failing to deliver on the promises he made.
“Kevin McCarthy has failed the American people. I am excited to announce my campaign to defeat Kevin McCarthy in California’s 20th Congressional District,” Giglio said in a statement.
“After years of being sold out to special interests, the people of the Central Valley deserve an America First Republican fighting for them in Washington and working alongside President Donald Trump to WAGE WAR against the corrupt uniparty!” he added.
Giglio went on to praise as “courageous” the eight House Republicans, including Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who ousted McCarthy in September using a motion to vacate the speakership.
“Kevin McCarthy was removed as Speaker by 8 courageous members of his party for failing to keep to his promises and capitulating to Joe Biden and the radical Democrats. Kevin McCarthy must be defeated,” he said in the statement.
Online sources indicate that Giglio has at least one failed campaign in the past. According to YouTube videos, he initially sought to challenge incumbent Democrat Rep. Jim Costa, in California’s 16th district during the 2022 cycle.
After redistricting moved Costa to a new district, however, Giglio wound up running in the 13th district, where another GOP neophyte, Rep. John Duarte, narrowly prevailed for the open seat against Democrat Adam Gray in the general election.
McCarthy has cruised to reelection in every cycle since he first won his House seat in 2006. He also maintained a close relationship with former President Donald Trump, despite opposition from some of Trump’s allies.
During the Gaetz-led ouster, for example, Trump told reporters that he did not encourage Gaetz to remove McCarthy and even blamed House Republicans for “fighting among themselves” in a post on Truth Social.
After he was ousted, McCarthy shot down rumors that he was thinking of stepping down from the House.
“I’m not resigning. I got a lot more work to do,” he said at the time.
