Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on Oct. 27 endorsed Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Cheney’s first endorsement of a Democrat.
Cheney has been anathema among Republicans during the 117th Congress for her role on the Jan. 6 Committee, which other Republicans have described as little more than a “partisan witch hunt” directed against former President Donald Trump and his allies.
“I’m proud to endorse Elissa Slotkin. Serving together on the Armed Services Committee, I have come to know Elissa as a good and honorable public servant who works hard for the people she represents, wants what’s best for the country, and is in this for the right reasons,” said Cheney.
She added, “While Elissa and I have our policy disagreements, at a time when our nation is facing threats at home and abroad, we need serious, responsible, substantive members like Elissa in Congress. I encourage all voters in the 7th district—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents—to support her in this election.”
“I’m grateful for her support in this race and I’m proud of the work we’ve done together to strengthen our national security and America’s role in the world,“ Slotkin added. ”We all know that our country is going through a difficult moment right now. But throughout our history, two things have helped us weather times like these: engaged citizens and principled leaders, from both sides of the aisle.
“Rep. Cheney has shown tremendous leadership over the last two years, and while we certainly don’t agree on every issue, I look forward to welcoming her to Michigan’s 7th district next week to discuss the points where all Americans can leave politics aside and put our country above all else.”
Slotkin is running against Republican Tom Barrett, and the race is one of the most closely watched of the cycle as Republicans seek to take back the House after four years in the minority.
Cheney and Slotkin are united in their view of the Jan. 6 “Stop the Steal” rally, which Democrats have portrayed as the culmination of a months-long conspiracy orchestrated by Trump and his allies. During the effort to establish the committee in 2021, Slotkin described Trump as “clearly unfit for public office.”
With her endorsement of Slotkin, Cheney has joined Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), the only other Republican on the Jan. 6 Committee, in breaking with her party and endorsing a Democrat.
Early on in the 117th Congress, Kinzinger announced that he would not seek reelection. Cheney, for her part, mounted a bid to receive her party’s nomination for Wyoming’s only House seat, but was defeated in the primary by Trump-endorsed candidate Harriet Hageman.
Slotkin and Cheney Are ‘Establishment War Hawks’: Barrett
In an email to the Epoch Times, Barrett wrote off Cheney and Slotkin as “establishment war hawks.”“My entire adult life has been committed to service in the Army, and sadly I’ve lost too many friends in America’s endless wars,” Barrett said. “Now, establishment war hawks like Liz Cheney and Elissa Slotkin are standing together because I oppose their senseless thirst for more foreign entanglements.
“Rep. Slotkin has already said she would commit U.S. soldiers to combat with China so it’s no surprise the Cheney family would join her. Slotkin can keep Cheney while I work to keep America out of war,” he added.
For years, the Cheney family has been a target for more non-interventionist wings of the GOP, who blame Cheney’s father for the U.S. involvement in controversial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While vice president under President George W. Bush, Dick Cheney was a key architect of the administration’s foreign policy.
