The House Freedom Caucus voted to remove Rep. Warren Davidson from the group on Monday after the Ohio Republican’s endorsement of the primary challenger to the HFC’s chairman, Rep. Bob Good (R-VA).
The 16-13 vote came weeks after members voted to open a review into Davidson’s standing after his support for John McGuire, who defeated Good by a razor-thin margin in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. Good’s campaign has said it will pursue a recount “to settle any questions about the fairness or transparency of the election process.”
According to Politico, "Davidson was found to be not in good standing — a distinction normally applied to members who don’t pay their dues or skip meetings — which made it easier to remove him on procedural rules, one of the members said."
Davidson’s removal from the Freedom Caucus puts a bookend on his at-times contentious relationship with the group.
In December, the Ohio Republican announced that he would not seek re-election to the Freedom Caucus board after it recommended that Good serve as the next chairman of the group. In a letter to colleagues at the time, Davidson wrote “I ask that you prayerfully consider electing someone else as Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.”
“I ask that we consider how to best increase our influence while preserving our power to move policy in the right direction. I strongly feel that Bob Good as Chairman will impair that objective,” he added, according to Axios. (The Hill)
Following Davidson’s ouster, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX) said he would leave the group.
“I respect the HFC and have been aligned with their conservative positions. I want to grow the organization and encourage more members to join. With tonight’s vote it was clear that is not their objective. I value what the HFC brings to the table and I can assure them I will continue to support their conservative agenda I just won’t be a member,” Davidson told The Hill in a statement.
Davidson's removal marks the third time this Congress a member has been kicked out. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was given the boot, as was former Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) shortly before he left Congress.