Andy Harris elected as new Freedom Caucus chair

Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) was elected Tuesday night as the new chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, three members told The Hill, officially replacing Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) after he lost his primary earlier this year.

The group elected Harris to be its chair shortly after Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), a former leader of the coalition, took his name out of contention, the members said. Harris and Biggs were the final contenders for the position.

The vote took place during the group’s weekly meeting.

Good resigned as chair of the Freedom Caucus last week, after he lost his reelection bid to primary challenger John McGuire, who was backed by former President Trump. Good’s term as chair was supposed to run through December 2025, a tenure he could not complete because of his defeat at the ballot box.

Harris’s stretch as chair, however, will only run through 2024, one of the members said, giving the Freedom Caucus another opportunity to choose a leader in the coming months.

Harris — who represents Maryland’s 1st Congressional district — has served in the House since 2011. The Congressman currently serves as chair of an appropriations subcommittee, making him an interesting choice for leader of the Freedom Caucus, which oftentimes finds itself at odds with leadership during spending fights.

The Freedom Caucus has wielded considerable influence this Congress, impacting policy pushed by leadership.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), for example, is staging a vote on the group’s preferred method to fund the government on Wednesday, bringing a six-month continuing resolution paired with a bill requiring proof of citizenship to vote to the floor.

Story updated at 9:09 p.m. ET