Look Who’s Running For Whip!

(RightWing.org) – Once all the results of last week’s midterm elections are settled, the Republican Party will do what it’s done at the start of every new Congress — elect a new whip. As the number two House Republican, this is a vital position that needs a smart, persuasive occupant. Is Representative Tom Emmer (R-MN) that man?

Tom Emmer slide deck sent out making pitch for House GOP Whip — including 38 endorsements pic.twitter.com/6SmWNHROAh

— Emily Brooks (@emilybrooksnews) November 10, 2022

Emmer has represented Minnesota’s 6th congressional district since 2015, taking over from retiring congresswoman Michelle Bachman. In 2019, he took over as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). For the 2022 midterms, he organized an NRCC campaign that targeted 75 Democrat seats that looked like possible GOP gains, declaring, “No Democrat is safe in this environment.” In the end, most of those 75 Democrats managed to get re-elected.

On top of what many Republicans see as an underwhelming performance as NRCC chair, Emmer has attracted some controversy. In 2009, when he was a Minnesota state representative, he sponsored a bill to reduce the penalties for drunk driving. At the time, reporters wondered if the fact he’d been arrested twice for DUI had anything to do with that. In 2010, he argued that restaurants should be able to subtract the tips servers receive from their wages, and in 2019, he was accused of anti-Semitism.

Whips are responsible for party discipline, especially getting legislators to vote with the party line. A good whip needs to be able to persuade lawmakers to support the party; they can also use the offer of committee jobs (or the threat of demotion from one) as inducements. A good whip will be vital if the GOP is going to make good use of a House majority.

Should Tom Emmer lead that operation? He thinks so — but will his colleagues agree?