Trump ally mulls primary against Republican who opposed Mayorkas impeachment

Trump-aligned GOP consultant Alex Bruesewitz is weighing a primary bid against Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) over his decision to vote against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a person close to Bruesewitz first shared with The Hill. 

Bruesewitz weighed running for Gallagher’s seat last year amid speculation that the congressman would mount a Senate challenge against Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), but Gallagher ultimately opted against running for Baldwin’s seat. 

Gallagher’s vote against impeaching Mayorkas may have changed that. The person close to Bruesewitz noted that the consultant lives in Palm Beach but is from Gallagher’s district. The person said Bruesewitz will be gauging support for a primary challenge by planning to hold an event in Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District. 

“Alex has had a ton of reach-out from members of Congress and Trump orbit about challenging Gallagher after this vote,” the person told The Hill, referring to politicians Bruesewitz has gone after on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “He has become the RINO slayer, just look at what he did to [Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas)] and [Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis].”

“Gallagher is next for him potentially,” the person added, noting that he has relationships with deep-pocketed Trump donors. 

Gallagher was among three Republicans to vote against an impeachment resolution targeting Mayorkas, which alleges that he “repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security.” Reps. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) and Ken Buck (R-Colo.) also voted against it. 

Gallagher described Mayorkas’s performance as a “disgrace” in an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal following his vote, but added, “I disagree with my Republican colleagues who voted on Tuesday to impeach Mr. Mayorkas. Impeachment not only would fail to resolve Mr. Biden’s border crisis but would also set a dangerous new precedent that would be used against future Republican administrations.” 

But Bruesewitz suggested Gallagher’s vote could have political consequences in a post on X.

“Mike Gallagher is a disgrace to my home state of Wisconsin and the Republican Party. @RepGallagher just voted against the impeachment of Sec Mayorkas, the man who has worked hand and hand with Biden to open our borders and allow dangerous criminals to flood into our country,” he wrote.

“Gallagher made a swampy back room deal, also known as Quid pro quo, to save Mayorkas’ a** and sellout his fellow Republicans. Unforgivable!” 

The Wisconsin Republican sits in a reliably red district that went for Trump by more than 15 points in 2020. The Marine Corps veteran handily won his first election for Congress in 2016 against Democrat Tom Nelson by 25 points.  

Gallagher easily won his reelection bid in 2022, with only an independent and a Libertarian running against him.