U.S. Rep. Kerry Bentivolio, facing a tough primary challenge this year, got some help today from a group that backed him two years ago — the Tea Party Express.
Bentivolio, R-Milford, won his first term in Congress in 2012 as a newcomer after U.S. Rep. Thad McCotter abruptly resigned amid an investigation into fraudulent re-election petition signatures collected by his staff. This year, Birmingham lawyer Dave Trott is challenging Bentivolio and has lined up support from much of the mainstream Republican establishment in Oakland County.
Tea Party Express Chairman Amy Kremer, in delivering the group’s endorsement to Bentivolio today, said he “stayed true to his principles and proudly stood apart as a conservative leader and independent voice” during his first term in office.
“We were excited about Kerry Bentivolio when we endorsed him in 2012, and we are now proud to be able to stand with him again in 2014,” Kremer added.
Bentivolio has been trailing Trott significantly in terms of fund-raising, but the Tea Party Express endorsement could potentially help the incumbent. The group’s political action committee gave him $5,000 in the last race, but its endorsement could possibly be of greater help as a tool for the campaign to raise money nationwide.
Tea Party Express maintains that it represents the views of “millions of Tea Party supporters across the country,” saying it is the “most aggressive and influential national Tea Party group in the political arena.”
