"Midterm elections are historically tough on the party of the sitting president. With Republicans already hanging onto a razor-thin margin in the U.S. House, tracking the GOP members set to leave the chamber some of whom have been among President Donald Trump's top Capitol Hill champions can provide a window into what work the party has ahead of it in angling to maintain control."
"Doggett, who has represented an Austin-based district for more than three decades, said that he would be departing the House after the end of his current term, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision upholding the state's new district map merging two Austin-area districts favorable to Democrats. In 2024, Doggett was the first sitting lawmaker in the party to publicly call for President Joe Biden to step down as the party's nominee for president, citing Biden's debate performance against Trump failing to effectively defend his many accomplishments."
A number of House members from both major parties have announced they will leave before the 2026 cycle, citing various reasons including runs for higher office, retirement, or early departures. Midterm elections traditionally hurt the president's party, and Republicans hold a slim margin in the House, making GOP retirements particularly consequential. Retirements can signal upcoming churn and offer openings for the opposing party to gain seats. Rep. Lloyd Doggett announced retirement after Dec. 5, 2025, citing a Supreme Court decision on Texas district maps. Rep. Troy Nehls announced retirement on Nov. 29, 2025, and endorsed his twin brother Trever.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]