Amash Beats Back Crony Republican's Primary Challenge
A libertarian Congressman can fight an uncompromising battle against big government and big business and keep his seat, after all.
Incumbent Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) survived a closely-watched primary election Tuesday night, defeating challenger Brian Ellis 55 percent to 45 percent and retaining the Republican nomination for the west Michigan House seat. Ellis conceded around 10:30 p.m. ET, according to the Grand Rapids Press.
Amash, a liberty-friendly Republican whose principled opposition to NSA spying, crony capitalism, and foreign entanglements has earned him support from libertarians—as well as the enmity of the GOP establishment—was forecast to win the race weeks ago. However, his political survival was not always a matter of fact. Neoconservative Republicans and corporatist special interests backed Ellis early in the race. Their attempts to portray Amash as the "best friend" of both Nancy Pelosi and al-Qaida backfired, however. District voters told Slate's Dave Weigel that they were tired of Ellis's negative campaigning and agreed with Amash that it was wrong to trade liberty for security.
Having secured the Republican nomination, Amash is all but guaranteed to be re-elected in November. Undeniable good news: It seems a libertarian Congressman can fight an uncompromising battle against big government and big business and keep his seat, after all.
Read more about why Justin Amash's primary win vindicates libertarian politics here.
And watch Reason TV's interview with Amash below.
