Longtime House Republican who split with party on Jan 6 commission wins primary in deep red state

Thirteen-term U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, won the Republican primary on Tuesday in his re-election effort for Idaho's 2nd Congressional District.

The Republican has represented the Gem State in Congress for 13 consecutive terms, advancing Tuesday night to face Idaho Falls Democrat David Roth, who is unopposed, in the general election in November.

Simpson has represented the district since the late 1990s, but his career in politics stretches back to when he served on the Blackfoot City Council in 1980.

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Simpson's win comes after the lawmaker split with several members of his party in backing an investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and voting against a recount of the 2020 election results.

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The Republican went on to win his 2022 GOP primary with 55% of the vote.

Jets' Aaron Rodgers says opted against becoming RKF Jr's running mate, wants NFL career to continue

The New York Jets no longer have to worry about scrambling to find a starting quarterback. 

Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers has decided to put any political ambitions on hold and stick with football. Rodgers' name had been linked to independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 

But, the 40-year-old quarterback finally addressed the speculation that he could pivot from the NFL to politics by becoming Kennedy's running mate.

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"I love Bobby (Kennedy), we had a couple of really nice conversations, but there were really two options: It was retire and be his VP or keep playing," Rodgers told reporters after Jets' organized team activities. "But I wanted to keep playing."

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Earlier this year, the Kennedy campaign confirmed that Rodgers was on the short list of candidates under consideration to join RFK on the independent presidential ticket.  

However, shortly after Rodgers' name was floated as a potential running mate, Kennedy tapped California lawyer Nicole Shanahan as his VP nominee.

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While Rodgers has mulled retirement during the past offseasons, he was contemplating stepping away from the NFL for a completely different reason this time.

Rodgers is hoping to bounce back in 2024, after he suffered an Achilles injury in the Jets' 2023 season opener. The Jets acquired the star quarterback in a blockbuster trade in April 2023.

In September, Rodgers and the Jets will once again open the season on Monday Night Football. But unlike last year, Gang Green will be on the road to kick off the 2024 campaign.

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