Following a vote to impeach then-President Donald Trump that cast a shadow over his first term in Congress, Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) lost to a Trump-backed challenger in the Republican primary on Tuesday.

The challenger, John Gibbs, a former software engineer and Trump administration official, is a more orthodox conservative who believes that Trump won the 2020 presidential election.

His victory in the 3rd Congressional District, in western Michigan, despite Meijers massive fundraising advantage , speaks to just how much loyalty to Trump has become a litmus test in Republican primaries.

It shows how powerfully this partys rank-and-file voters support Donald Trump and believe the big lie, said Jeff Timmer, a former chair of the Michigan GOP who left the party after Trumps nomination in 2016.

In a statement, Meijer congratulated Gibbs, and implied that he stands by his vote to impeach Trump following the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Im proud to have remained true to my principles, even when doing so came at a significant political cost, Meijer said.