Mediaboss Marketing

Republicans cheered when Chris Smith, a leading anti-abortion advocate, flipped a Democratic-held district and was elected to Congress in 1980. Hes won in landslides for the following four decades.

But now the leader of Republican Party, former President Donald Trump, wants Smith out of office. Two GOP candidates are answering Trumps call to challenge New Jerseys longest-serving congressman in next years primary just as Smiths new district gains more loyal supporters of the former president.

The reason? Smith, who often split with Trump and House GOP leaders during his 41 years on Capitol Hill, went too far in the eyes of the ex-president when he was one of only 13 House Republicans to back President Joe Bidens $1 trillion infrastructure bill.

Alan Steinberg, who worked in the administrations of Gov. Christie Whitman and President George W. Bush, said it has more to do with the state of the Republican Party than Smith.

Hes never changed, Steinberg said. The party has changed.

Former Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-2nd Dist., who also often opposed Trump when he served in Congress, said the ex-presidents actions show any dissent is no longer permitted.

The former president doesnt take kindly to somebody who disagrees in any way shape or form with him, LoBiondo said. Ive never seen it this bad. Its a whole different ball game. You cant even talk about cooperation without jumping down your throat.

Two Republicans have asked Trump to endorse their primary challenges to Smith: Mike Blasi and Tricia Flanagan.

The Chris Smith of 20 years ago would not be supportive of the Chris Smith of today, said Dominick Cuozzo, a member of Blasis campaign management team.

No way, Smith said. He says hes still a conservative moderate.

Im not a liberal, Smith said.

Despite hearing a few dissenting voices from the fringes such as Rep Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who on Twitter called Smith a traitor along with the other Republicans who voted yes on infrastructure the New Jersey Republican said his views remain in line with the GOP.

The mainstream of the party hasnt changed that much, he said. I feel very at home.

If there is any movement, one could argue that the party has moved closer to Smith rather than the other way around. The former executive director of New Jersey Right to Lifes election began as an outlier in a state where leading New Jersey Republicans, most notably Govs. Whitman and Tom Kean, supported abortion rights.

Now, thanks to Trump and Senate Republicans, a six-judge GOP majority on the U.S. Supreme Court could revoke the constitutional right to abortion in Roe v. Wade.

Smith has drawn the ire of GOP leaders before, most notably when he was stripped of his House Veterans Affairs Committee chairmanship for opposing Republican efforts to cut federal funding for veterans.

He annually is among the Republicans least likely to toe the party line, and most likely to work with Democrats. And he opposed both of Trumps top legislative priorities: the GOP tax law and he unsuccessful effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

LoBiondo said Smith does a good job representing New Jersey.

Were not Alabama or Mississippi or one of the deep red states, said LoBiondo, who also opposed both bills. If you want Republican representation, thats going to look different than it will in other areas.

Indeed, Smiths brand of Republicanism remains popular in his district. Hes received at least 60% of the vote in 18 of his 21 successful House campaigns.

The thing about Chris Smith is hes the same guy hes always been, said former Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-7th Dist. That is the reason that no matter what his district has looked like, New Jersey voters have confidence in who he is and they love that he is their representative in Washington.

Smiths vote for the infrastructure bill was different than the other times he diverted from the Republican stance because of Trump, said Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University..

(Trump) is spending his time plotting his revenge and going after people who otherwise are solid Republicans representatives who subscribe to what the party stands for these days, except for those things that are important to the district that Trump opposes, Baker said.

LoBiondo said that enforcing such loyalty tests could hurt the partys chances of winning back the House majority in 2022.

Were really on the edge of retaking the majority, LoBiondo said. One of the things the Republicans seem to be pretty good at is forming a circular firing squad. Chris, who has held a solid grip on that district, is told hes got to have a primary because there was a single vote that people didnt agree on.

Smiths new district, approved by the states independent redistricting commission Wednesday, removes his home in Hamilton and his Mercer County base while adding large swaths of pro-Trump Ocean County Republicans.

David Wasserman, who tracks House races for the Cook Political Report, said that could mean trouble for Smith in next years Republican primary

Hes picking up a ton of hard-core Trump towns in Ocean County who dont like that he voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, Wasserman said.

Smith said more than 70% of the new 4th is his current district and he previously represented some of the other municipalities during his four decades in Washington. He supported the former president 66% of the time, according to FiveThirtyEight.

I know these areas, including the new areas, Smith said. Trump is a force. Ive supported much of his agenda. So Im very confident where I stand vis a vis Donald Trump.

One of Smiths primary opponents, Blasi, a veteran, former law enforcement officer and owner of a small real estate company, described his agenda as America First and praised two of Trumps most vocal supporters in Congress: Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. Both backed efforts to overturn the 2020 election that Trump lost.

Smith broke with a majority of House Republicans and did not ask the U.S. Supreme Court to throw out the election results in several battleground states won by Joe Biden, and voted against rejecting state-certified election results in two states following the Jan. 6 insurrection by supporters of the former president.

We need more Jim Jordans and less Chris Smiths, said Blasi, who entered the race as a Trump supporter even before the former president sought a primary challenger to Smith. Im watching several congressmen and congresswomen doing their jobs and stepping up. Theres nobody stepping up in Jersey.

Cuozzo said Blasi had the support of Karen Giorno, a former Florida adviser to Trumps campaign. He said Giorno has submitted Blasis name to Susie Wiles, who is overseeing the former presidents political operation, including his endorsements.

Following Trumps call to action, Flanagan, who initially sought the GOP nomination against Democratic Rep. Andy Kim in the 3rd District, said she would instead run against Smith in the 4th District GOP primary.

Im answering the very clear and present call that President Trump put forth for Chris Smith to be primaried in this midterm, said Flanagan, who earlier this year sought the ex-presidents support for her challenge against Kim during a visit to his Bedminster golf club.

Smith, though, said all indications were that Trump would sit out his race. Theres no sense that hes going to do anything, Smith said.

Nor was he worried about his vote for the infrastructure bill being an issue next year, he said.

Infrastructure is a win for everybody, he said. I dont think its going to be a major problem or even a minor problem.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him at @JDSalant.

Start your day with the latest from Trenton, D.C. and your town. Get the N.J. Politics newsletter now.

See the rest here:
N.J.s Chris Smith was once celebrated by conservatives. Now Trump wants him gone. What happened? - NJ.com