Arizona Politics

Crane Says He is 'Proud' to Be On Kevin McCarthy's 'Hit List'

Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) is up for reelection in Arizona's 2nd Congressional District and is talking about his Republican primary opponent, former Yavapai County Commissioner Jack Smith (R).

No, not that Jack Smith.

In a recent interview with Cactus Politics, Rep. Crane alleged Smith is receiving backing from former Speaker of the House Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in retaliation for Rep. Crane voting to remove him from the Speakership in October.

Rep. Crane poked fun at Smith's name, quoting Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL): "What, they could not find Hannibal Lecter?" referring to the infamous villain from the 1991 horror film The Silence of the Lambs

Additionally, he said Rep. McCarthy is "100%" behind Smith since the Arizona Congressman was one of the eight Republicans who voted to remove the California Congressman from the Speakership position, and Smith "got in super late" in the primary, "like a couple of weeks before the filing deadline," supposedly being the tenth person McCarthy's people were considering.

Nevertheless, Crane said, "At the end of the day, you make your bed up here [that] you sleep in, and I am proud to be on their hit list. For my voters, it is a badge of honor. Everybody feels that way."

Moreover, Crane suggested his constituents did not initially want him to vote for McCarthy during the initial votes for Speaker in January 2023, yet "we gave him time, we gave him multiple opportunities to kind of honor the commitments that he made in January to become Speaker. Once it was evident to everybody that he would not, that he could not honor those, we were like, 'Okay."

"Once you sell your soul up here to so many people, and you are so conflicted, especially when it comes to donors and whatnot and PACs, it becomes evident and apparent after a certain amount of time that somebody cannot and they won't actually lead us in a direction that actually honors what the Republican platform is supposed to be about," Crane continued.

Regardless, the Arizona Congressman concluded, "I can appreciate the hustle, I can appreciate somebody working their ass off, and [McCarthy] did. I will give him that because to become Speaker of the House, that is not an easy feat. I respect it, but at the same time, if you are not going to do what is necessary to help us save this country, you need to go, and that is why I was like, 'Okay, easy."

Grayson Bakich

Florida born and raised, Grayson Bakich is a recent recipient of a Master’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Central Florida. His thesis examined recent trends in political polarization and how this leads into justification of violence.

Recent Posts

Arizona’s Growing Power Needs and the Role of Nuclear Energy

By the late 2030s, Arizona's electricity consumption is predicted to increase by almost 60%. Rapid…

13 hours ago

Congress Plans to Fix Disaster Response System With FEMA Act of 2025

Lawmakers from both parties have proposed the largest reforms to emergency management in almost two…

16 hours ago

Democratic Activists Gather in Arizona as National Campaign "Won't Back Down Tour" Begins

This weekend, congressional members from a major advocacy organization began their cross-country campaign tour in…

16 hours ago

SNAKEBITE— 8.4.25— Biggs and Crane Want Justice— Gallego's Veterans' Benefits Bill— Hobbs Wants Border Reimbursement, Trump's Digital Health Plan, Much More...

Biggs and Crane Want Justice Representatives Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) demanded accountability…

16 hours ago

Trump Administration Delays Tariff Hikes Amid Ongoing Trade Disputes

As the federal government continues to put pressure on several economic partners by imposing higher import…

17 hours ago

Crane, Biggs Demand Justice After Durham Report Annex Reveals Depth of Russian Collusion Hoax

Representatives Eli Crane (R-AZ) and Andy Biggs (R-AZ) demanded accountability and justice on X (formerly…

3 days ago