Conservative Club for Growth backs Texas House Republican’s primary challenger

The conservative Club for Growth is backing a GOP challenger to Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) in the March primary, the group announced, straying from Republican Party leaders.

The group is supporting technology executive Chris Putnam by funding a seven-figure advertising offensive against Granger. The 12-term representative who is the ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee, will be targeted by the anti-tax group in a series of TV, digital and mail ads attacking her record.   

“Granger, a 12-term U.S. Representative, has recklessly voted for out-of-control deficit-spending, backroom bloated budget deals, and debt limit increases, as well as her pet-project of Panther Island while also opposing responsible spending cuts — voters deserve a fiscal conservative with a voting record to match,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh said in a statement.

The group’s ad says Granger has a “spending problem” and has “backed wasteful spending on everything from a lobster institute in Maine to billions for the World Bank.”

A Putnam ad also accused Granger for voting “for big government bailouts, trillions in taxpayer debt, millions for Planned Parenthood.”

Republican officials and President Trump have thrown their support behind Granger, who was first elected in 1996, Politico noted.

Congresswoman Kay @GrangerCampaign has worked hard for Texas and been a strong supporter of our #MAGA Agenda. She’s strong on #2A and Securing our Border and is 100% pro-life. Kay has my Complete and Total Endorsement!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 17, 2019

The group is typically aligned with the president in elections, but this time they are going after the Trump-supported incumbent. Club for Growth has not attempted to challenge an incumbent since 2014, when they attempted to defeat Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.), the news outlet added.

The Hill reached out to Granger’s office for comment.