In a surprising turn of events, five House Republicans who previously voted to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) are likely to return to Congress after successfully navigating their primary challenges. The primary season saw intense campaigning and well-funded attacks from McCarthy-allied groups, aiming to exact revenge on the anti-McCarthy faction. Despite the onslaught, the majority of these Republicans emerged victorious or faced no opposition in their primaries.

Among the eight House Republicans who had joined forces with Democrats to oust McCarthy almost a year ago, two chose not to seek reelection, two faced no challengers, three successfully defended their seats against opponents, and only one - Rep. Bob Good (Va.) - fell short in his primary bid for reelection.

The results indicate that five anti-McCarthy Republicans are now poised to return to Congress, as they all represent districts that lean towards the GOP and are not expected to be competitive in the general election.

One of the prominent leaders of this faction, Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), recently faced a primary opponent and emerged triumphant with an impressive 73 percent of the vote. McCarthy publicly backed Gaetz's opponent, retired naval officer Aaron Dimmock, and a McCarthy-affiliated super PAC spent over $3 million on attack ads against Gaetz, focusing on allegations of misconduct that he has vehemently denied. Although the Justice Department chose not to bring charges last year, the House Ethics Committee continues to investigate the matter.

Gaetz took the opportunity at his election night event to taunt McCarthy, highlighting his significant victory margin and urging him to invest more resources in future attempts to unseat him. McCarthy, however, did not respond to Gaetz's comments.

During primary season, McCarthy's allies circulated a memo that acknowledged the difficulty of defeating Gaetz but suggested that the relentless advertising campaign against him would harm his prospects in a potential future run for Florida governor.

Turning to the other seven House Republicans who voted against McCarthy, Rep. Andy Biggs (Ariz.) faced no opposition in his primary, securing an uncontested win. Rep. Ken Buck (Colo.) earlier announced his retirement and resigned from the House in March, criticizing his party for spreading election denialism after Donald Trump's defeat. His vacant seat was filled by Republican Greg Lopez in a special election, who pledged to be a temporary replacement until Rep. Lauren Boebert (R) - a staunch Trump ally - can run for the seat next year.

Rep. Tim Burchett (Tenn.) faced no challengers in his primary, ensuring a smooth path to reelection. Similarly, Rep. Elijah Crane (Ariz.) secured a resounding victory against his primary challenger, winning 79 percent of the vote. The McCarthy-affiliated nonprofit American Prosperity Alliance ran modest advertising attacking Crane's stance on border security.

In a closely contested primary battle, Rep. Bob Good (Va.) of the conservative House Freedom Caucus narrowly lost his reelection bid to Virginia state Sen. John McGuire III. The race went to a recount, which confirmed McGuire's victory. Notably, former President Donald Trump endorsed McGuire and criticized Good for his support of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 presidential primary. Good had later endorsed Trump after DeSantis withdrew from the race. McCarthy openly acknowledged his involvement in the primary, emphasizing his active engagement in supporting McGuire. Over $10 million in outside spending, including over $4 million from the anti-Good super PAC American Patriots PAC, poured into this highly contested primary.

With the primaries settled, the focus now shifts towards the general election, where the anti-McCarthy Republicans are likely to retain their seats in Congress. As they represent predominantly Republican districts, their eventual return seems assured. However, the lingering tensions between McCarthy and his detractors are likely to shape their future political dynamics.