Renee Elmers Will Seek Her Old House Seat

Former Rep. Renee Elmers (R-NC) announced on Twitter that she’s running for Congress again in North Carolina’s 4th district — and sent the House GOP gossip mill into overdrive.

Playbook: “Ellmers, you’ll recall, lost her primary in 2016 following allegations that she was having an extramarital affair with Kevin McCarthy, who also lost his bid for speaker around that time in part due to the controversy. (Both denied the allegations.) Oddly enough, her foray back into politics comes as McCarthy is in his best position yet to attain the job he’s wanted for years.”

“Yet the plot thickens: McCarthy met Wednesday with Bo Hines, a former football player and Trump loyalist who is currently running in another North Carolina district — but who is considering switching to run against Ellmers instead. It’s unclear whether McCarthy would endorse in the race, but it’s a safe bet House Republicans will be watching this primary closely.”