WASHINGTON EXAMINER: House Dysfunction Could Spell Doom for Vulnerable Republicans and GOP Majority

With the 2024 elections inching closer, disagreement within the House Republican conference on a speaker threatens to put several members representing swing districts at risk, further endangering their already slim majority over Democrats.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was historically ousted from his post earlier this month as eight Republican detractors voted with House Democrats in favor of a motion to vacate. Now, Republicans are struggling to put forward a speaker nominee who can gain enough support from the conference to get elected.

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner, Ron Bonjean, offered his insights into what delaying the nomination means for Republicans in the Washington Examiner. 

A few hours before midnight on October 1, Kevin McCarthy, a Republican congressman and then-House Speaker, appeared to pull off a major victory by brokering a bipartisan deal to avoid a costly government shutdown.

But his moment in the sun was short-lived, extinguished just two days later by his long-time political rival, Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, who filed a motion to remove Mr. McCarthy from his post.

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner, Ron Bonjean, shared his thoughts on Matt Gaetz’s ultimate objectives with BBC News.

The race for House Speaker is dividing Senate Republicans, reflecting the broader division in the GOP between traditional and MAGA-aligned conservatives.  

Many mainstream Republican senators are quietly rooting for the House to elect Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) over Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and for the transition to happen as quickly as possible to quell voters’ concerns about the Republican Party’s ability to govern.  

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner Ron Bonjean spoke with The Hill about what factors are influencing Republicans in their rush to find a new House Speaker. Read more about his insights here.

ROKK Co-Founder and Partner, Ron Bonjean shared his thoughts with BBC Worldwide about what the ousting of Congressman McCarthy from Speaker of the House means for the House of Representatives. He also gave his insight on the impending government shutdown. Watch the interview here.

ROKK Solutions is proud to announce we are a finalist for Agency of the Year in the 2023 Ragan’s PR Daily Awards.

These awards recognize PR professionals, marketers and agencies who have found innovative solutions, harnessed the power of technology and helped clients meet their strategic communications objectives.

Winners will be announced at the PR Daily Awards Luncheon at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on December 15, 2023.

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Ragan’s PR Daily Awards is the premier awards program for honoring excellence, creativity and innovation in the field of PR, and this year’s finalists have once again raised the bar to great heights. Their work is a testament to the power of effective communication, strategic thinking and the ability to adapt and thrive in a constantly evolving landscape.

Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. 

On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) about a Speaker-less House of Representatives; Bloomberg Politics Contributor Rick Davis and ROKK Solutions Vice President Alvin Jordan about the race for Speaker of the House and some new polling data from the presidential campaign trail; and Morning Consult US Politics Analyst Eli Yokley about the state of the race for the White House.

Hear from ROKK’s Vice President Alvin Jordan by listening to this episode of Bloomberg’s Sound On podcast. 

The vote to oust Kevin McCarthy as House speaker took only about an hour. But it was just the latest act in a rebellion among conservative lawmakers and voters that has been unfolding for 13 years—one that has promoted and then discarded the past three Republican speakers.

The tea party revolt of 2010, which gave Republicans a House majority and set McCarthy on his path to power, was fueled by voter anger at government bailouts after the financial crisis and at then-President Barack Obama’s healthcare program. But it also gave early hints of the populist impulses and eagerness to discard political norms that later gave rise to President Donald Trump.

ROKK Solutions Co-Founder and Partner, Ron Bonjean, discussed how populism had a lot to do with emboldening certain members of Congress in The Wall Street Journal.

Kristen Smith, who was senior VP & head of health policy communications at Edelman Global Advisory, has joined ROKK Solutions as a senior VP.

At ROKK, Smith will counsel clients as they develop targeted campaigns to influence policy discussion and advance their PA and strategic communications initiatives. Read firsthand at O’Dwyers here.

NPR’s Juana Summers talks with Republican strategist Ron Bonjean about the U.S. House vote to remove California Congressman Kevin McCarthy as speaker. Listen to All Things Considered to hear Ron’s insights and the full discussion here.

At BCW, Mike Waterman was the leader in corporate and technology issues, building relationships with colleagues and advising clients in Brussels, Beijing, Singapore and Seoul. After starting his career as press secretary to Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Waterman worked at agencies including Ketchum, Hyde Park Communications and Ruder Finn, in addition to serving as a VP at Zeno Group and Levick. He has advised and consulted major companies on public affairs matters, corporate positioning, reputational goals and issue campaigns.