Arizona Republican Representative David Schweikert campaigned alongside former president Donald Trump in 2020, voted “no” on forming a bipartisan investigation into the attacks on the Capitol on Jan. 6 and has refused to say whether or not he would vote for a national abortion ban is campaigning in his vulnerable re-election bid as a “moderate” these days.
Why is Schweikert claiming to be moderate and why now?
Some Arizonans and a few in Schweikert’s own district told Northeast Valley News they know why.
“He’s not gonna win and he’s gonna say anything,” says Katie Halvorson a constituent in Schweidert’s 1st congressional district. “He’s too extreme, trying to wear centrist while a closeted MAGA and we are not voting for extreme any longer,” Halvorson said.
“Abortion rights, women’s health and a growing distaste of Trumpism is going to send Schweikert packing in Nov.”
While the congressman is working hard to set himself apart from the Trump mold, some who live in his district point to his zero “moderate” success rate looking no further than his voting record and very public statements that place him squarely in the MAGA court.
Schweikert voted to not accept Pennsylvania’s electoral college vote in the 2020 presidential election. A classic Trump move.
Trump campaigned and endorsed Schweikert and no one gets a Trump endorsement unless they’re fully on board the MAGA train.
Reportedly Democrats say Schweikert “is simply an election denier who has enabled, or participated in, the style of politics he claims to despise.”
Schweikert has reportedly funded a PAC run by one of the talk show hosts that has called for abolishing the FBI, advocated for election falsehoods and spread numerous lies about COVID-19.
After Schweikert and other Republicans voted against forming a bipartisan investigation into the attacks of Jan. 6, Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., warned his colleagues against downplaying the violent attack.
“Let’s be clear: Democracy itself was violently attacked on January 6th. If we don’t stand up for it, it will happen again,” Gallego said before the vote. “If we don’t have swift and harsh accountability for everyone involved on Jan. 6, it will happen again. If all of us don’t stand up to traitors and cowards in defense of our constitution, Jan. 6 will happen again.”
The GOP-led extreme abortion restrictions do not help Schweikert.
“This year Democrats believe Schweikert may finally be on the ropes.
The recent 1864 Arizona Supreme Court abortion ban that would criminalize women and their physicians a move backed by Arizona Republicans is expected to boost Democratic turnout across the board, and Trump’s presence on the ballot could be a liability in Schweikert’s Scottsdale-area district, where Trump-aligned candidates have underperformed.”
For now, the consensus among many in Schweikert’s own district is the desire for a true moderate or even a Democrat who is willing to move a bit to the middle.
“I’m sick and tired of the extremism and the MAGA bunch lead the pack. Yes, Democrats can be extreme too, but they have more common sense these days, not like these MAGA’s are, I have never seen anything like this and some of the ridiculous stuff that comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth and what, he is now on his 10th contempt charge—wow,” says Richard Smart of Paradise Valley.
Whether or not Schweikert will survive in Nov. is anyone’s guess, but he’s working hard to gain center momentum for now.
