Vern Buchanan raises six figures for House GOP at Michigan fundraiser

Tom Emmer and Vern Buchanan at the latter's Torch Lake home.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan traveled to his native Michigan to raise more than $100,000 for House Republicans.

The Longboat Key Republican rallied the seven-figure haul, which will go to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), at a home he owns in Torch Lake, Michigan. About 100 attended the event.

The fundraising trip for Buchanan came as the GOP aims to retake a majority in the U.S. House.

Success in that effort in turn could elevate Buchanan to Chair the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

“This November our top priority must be to fire Nancy Pelosi so we can put an end to (Joe) Biden’s reckless agenda,” Buchanan said. “That’s why it is so important to support these amazing candidates here tonight.”

U.S. Reps. Jack Bergman, Bill Huizenga, John Moolenaar and Tim Walberg, all Michigan Republicans, also were part of the event. In addition, four Republicans running in key Michigan congressional contests attended the event: Tom Barrett, John Gibson, John James and Paul Junge, as did Indiana congressional candidate Rudy Yakym.

NRCC Chair Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican, also attended the event and praised Buchanan as a “great team player” for hosting it.

“When we take back the majority a lot of that will be because of the work Vern has done,” Emmer said.

In total, Buchanan has raised $2.75 million for the NRCC’s 2022 efforts. An experienced fundraiser, he previously served as NRCC Finance Chair in 2012 and helped the committee raise $155 million that year to hold the House in the same cycle when Democratic President Barack Obama won re-election.

Of note, Buchanan just won a contested Republican Primary in Florida’s 16th Congressional District against Martin Hyde. He faces Democrat Jan Schneider in November, but unlike previous election cycles, national Democrats are not financially backing a challenge to Buchanan in his home district.

He defeated challengers backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2018 when he beat David Shapiro and 2020 when he won against Margaret Good.