Third-term Rep. Todd Rokita, sponsor of the Republican-backed school lunch bill in the House, abandoned his re-election campaign two weeks ago to vie for the suddenly available GOP nomination in Indiana. Party leaders chose Lt. Gov. Eric Holcomb instead, so Rokita will try to get back on the November ballot, said Morning Consult.
Rokita represents a solidly Republican district in north central Indiana. He and Rep. Susan Brooks withdrew from their House races in the aftermath of Gov. Mike Pence being chosen as running mate of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Following the party’s choice of Holcomb, both said they would ask GOP officials in their districts — county and precinct chairs — to select them to fill the vacancies they created. Neither had strong opposition in the primary in May.
The House Education Committee approved Rokita’s school lunch bill on a party-line vote on May 18. It would slash a program allowing free meals for all students at schools in poor neighborhoods and start a three-state test of block grants for school nutrition programs. A bloc of Tea Party Republicans wanted to repeal school nutrition programs and replace them with block grants. The bill, HR 5003, was viewed as overly partisan and unlikely to become law.