Republican congressional candidate Joe Kent is “made for the job,” U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, said Saturday.
“He is a serious person for serious times,” Johnson said. “He’s been deployed 11 times for his country, a retired Green Beret, an extraordinary resume. And he’ll bring that acumen and serious nature to Congress at a time when we need it most.”
Johnson touted Kent’s background and military service before a Saturday afternoon fundraiser in Vancouver as the Republican makes a second attempt at representing Southwest Washington’s Third Congressional District in the nation’s capital. The fundraiser — which cost between $1,000 to $8,300 to attend — took place a little more than a week after Kent officially secured a rematch with Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, in the general election.
“He almost won this race last time, and we really believe he can get it done this time,” Johnson said.
The visit by Johnson comes as he makes a campaign swing throughout the West Coast in support of Republican candidates. In the run-up to the general election, Johnson said he’s traveled to 37 states for roughly 170 events.
Regardless of where he travels, Johnson said he frequently hears the same concerns from voters.
“People are fed up about the high cost of living, the high crime rates, the instability on the world stage because this team is projecting weakness on the world stage,” Johnson said. “They’re deeply concerned about the Southern Border, and the incumbent in this seat, Gluesenkamp Perez, has been a part of creating those problems. We’ve got to fix it, and Joe Kent is going to bring the solutions. We’re really excited about this.”
Kent, who lost by fewer than 3,000 votes in the 2022 general election, said it was “amazing” to have the speaker of the House visit the district to support his campaign.
“It just shows how united the Republican Party is to flip this seat,” Kent said. “People are really hurting right now. The inflation, the crime, the fentanyl, we’re in a really bad spot as a country and as a district. And Speaker Johnson coming out here just shows how unified and committed the Republican Party is to getting the job done this November.”
With a slim majority in the House, Johnson said, “The road to the majority for the House Republicans runs through this state and this district.”
The race, Johnson said, is “one of the top five” in the country.
“Everyone’s attention is on it,” Johnson said.
Republicans currently hold 220 seats in the House of Representatives compared to the 212 held by Democrats, with 218 needed to maintain a majority.
“I’m bringing all of the assistance I can,” Johnson said. “My presence here shows how important this is to us.”
Speaking with reporters Saturday, Johnson noted that former President Donald Trump carried the Third District with nearly 51% of the vote during the 2020 general election.
Trump has backed Kent in both of his runs for Congress, formally endorsing him days before the August primary.
“We think, right now, the reason he’s in such a favorable position is not just because he’s such an extraordinary candidate, but because the incumbent now has a horrific voting record,” Johnson said. “I mean, really, she’s against the values of this district and the American people. She’s been supportive of antifa and supportive of an open border at the same time. We can go down the list of virtually everything that ails the country, she has assisted with the Biden-Harris Administration. And I think that when people know that record, they will make the right decision.”
Gluesenkamp Perez’s voting record, Johnson said, shows that she is “onboard with the people who are radical progressives, socialist even.”
“That’s what her voting record shows,” Johnson said.
Highlighting Kent
While the event Saturday offered a venue for Johnson to attack Gluesenkamp Perez, it also provided the speaker the chance to highlight Kent’s strengths as a candidate.
“The great thing about us is that we have extraordinary candidates like Joe, who are out there, who not only has the right answers to all of these problems, but he delivers it in the right tone,” Johnson said. “He’s a serious, credible person, and he’s going to be an incredible member of Congress.”
A former Green Beret, Kent enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1998, later training to join the special forces. Days after retiring from the military, Kent was sworn in as a CIA paramilitary operations officer.
In the role, he mainly worked to train partner forces to take out terrorists in the Middle East.
The knowledge Kent gained through his military service, Johnson said, makes him uniquely fit to serve in the “most dangerous time as a nation since at least World War 2.”
“This is the perfect time for a guy like Joe Kent to come to Congress and bring his experience, his skill set, his acumen, and his wisdom to the table,” Johnson said.
In the run-up to the 2024 election cycle, Republicans recruited a “record number” of veterans throughout the country, Johnson said.
“But I don’t know anybody in Congress serving now, or in the recent memory, who had 11 deployments,” Johnson said. “I mean, he’s overqualified to be there, and I’m so grateful he’s willing to do it.”
Work to be done
While election coverage will likely dominate media coverage in the coming months, work remains for the 118th United States Congress. The House, Senate and President Joe Biden must reach an agreement on 12 appropriation bills to fund the federal government by Sept. 30 to avoid a potential government shutdown.
While on the campaign trail, Kent has said the national debt, which currently sits at $35 trillion, is only going to get “worse and worse and worse.”
Kent has called for Congress to return to individual spending bills to appropriate funds, rather than a larger package commonly known as an omnibus.
“The House, I’m very proud, went through the methodical process of regular order of doing 12 separate appropriations bills,” Johnson said.
According to Johnson, the House has completed seven of the 12 appropriations bills, and about 72% of federal funding has been allocated by the House.
“The sad thing is the Senate has moved exactly zero appropriations bills. So they’re not doing their job on that side, in that chamber,” Johnson said. “We’re coming up on the deadline soon, we’re looking at all of the options. But I can tell you that the House has all hands on deck, and I’m talking with members, as I do all of the time for these big decisions.”
