Congresswoman Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and third highest ranking Republican in the House, succeeded in holding on to her title as House GOP conference chair. On Wednesday, a secret ballot was held, and three sources said that the vote was 145-61 in her favor.
Cheney was one among the 10 Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump after the January 6, Capitol riot. She has been a critic of Trump and his rhetoric and had said, “I will vote to impeach the President.”
After winning the vote she briefly spoke to reporters and said that they were going forward together so that they could stand up against the Democrats. The vote in her favor shows the growing distrust in the party against the former president.
The impeachment vote was public, making a few Republicans shy away from the impeachment process as they were worried about the fallout that they could face from Trump voters at their home bases. The GOP conducted this vote in secret helping many Republicans to vote in her favor as they would not have to face the ire of pro-Trump voters back home if they voted for her.
Senior leaders of the GOP including the House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy acknowledged her decision. McCarthy told reporters that he had stood up for her in the meeting. He said that people could have differences of opinion and what finally mattered was unity.
The Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also supported her. He released a statement calling her a “leader with convictions and the courage to act on them.”
According to The Associated Press Cheney is facing a possibility of censure from her party in Wyoming. Republican state Sen. Anthony Bouchard has already said that he will contest against her in 2022. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R. Fla asked Wyoming voters who support Trump not to vote for her.
However, her supporters called today’s vote “a significant blow” to Trump supporters in the GOP and said that in this first big test on the future, one side had won.
