Maddow: GOP probably didn't expect 'this much of a fight for control' of the House

Already, the Republican majority is so slim in the House, they can afford to lose only one vote on any party-line issue. Well, California Republican Congressman Kevin Kiley announced that he's leaving the Republican Party. He wants to serve his swing district as an independent from here on out. Congressman Kiley says he will still caucus with the Republicans, but of course he now

has every political reason to try to distance himself from his party on any high-profile vote he has to take. Meanwhile, several other House Republicans have essentially become very lame ducks. Say, Texas Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw, who lost his primary. He's going to be out of office next year. Does he have to show up between now and the end of his term? It's up to him. Texas Republican Congressman Wesley Hunt also gave up his seat in the House to come in third in the Texas Senate race. Congressman Hunt already had a terrible attendance record in Congress.

What reason does he have to show up now, now that he's given up his seat? Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez, how about him? He agreed not to seek re-election after an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. If Tony Gonzalez remains in the House, which he says he plans to do, he'll have to face an ethics investigation. What's the likelihood that he's gonna keep showing up? If he quits, the ethics investigation just goes away. See also Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who has recently

bucked her party, specifically on the issue of Jeffrey Epstein. Congresswoman Mace is also giving up her seat to run for governor. So what incentive does she have to stick around? In the meantime, she is also facing a House ethics investigation over an alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars. She denies that wrongdoing, but any investigation would go away if she were to step down before her term is finished.

Republicans knew to expect a fight for control of the House in November. would go away if she were to step down before her term is finished.

Republicans knew to expect a fight for control of the House in November. I'm not Republicans knew to expect a fight for control of the House in November. I'm not sure they expected this much of a fight for control right now.