Rep. Mike Bost (R‑IL) survived an intraparty primary challenge from Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey during Tuesday’s Illinois 12th Congressional District GOP primary.
Bailey was backed by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R‑FL), who feuded with Bost during last year’s ouster of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Bost had the backing of former President Donald Trump.
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The Associated Press called the race for Bost at 10:14 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, a day after voters in Illinois cast their votes. Bost had 51% of the vote to Bailey’s 49%.
Bost and Gaetz’s complicated relationship stems back to McCarthy’s ouster from the speakership last year.
Bost famously screamed at the Florida congressman as he was speaking on the House floor in January 2023 while he and several Republicans held back support for McCarthy’s speakership.
The Illinois congressman allegedly lunged at Gaetz during a closed-door hearing last October after McCarthy ha …