Another House Republican just announced he’s quitting
In a body of 435 people, there are always going to be a handful coming and going for individual reasons. But at this point it’s safe to say that there’s now a trend in which House Republicans are announcing that they’re quitting at the end of the current term. Now another name – one that’s recently been in the headlines – says he’s out too.
After Kevin McCarthy was ousted as Speaker of the House, Patrick McHenry was named the Interim Speaker. He’s best remembered for angrily slamming the gavel after being forced to announce the vote total that took down McCarthy. In any case, McHenry now says he’s quitting at the end of this term and won’t seek reelection.
This comes after numerous other powerful House Republicans including Kay Granger and Debbie Lesko also announced they won’t seek reelection. There are also reports that Kevin McCarthy is considering retiring before the end of this term. And of course George Santos was just expelled.
It’s clear that an exodus is now underway among House Republicans. What stands out is that several of them, including Patrick McHenry, are in far right enough districts that they wouldn’t have been at any risk of losing their seats to a Democrat in 2024. They’re simply bailing from a sinking ship. This is a Republican Party implosion from within.
