House Republicans will now have one more vacant seat to fill this November after yet another member of the majority announced his retirement on Thursday.
Rep. Jake LaTurner (R-Kansas), who was first elected in 2020, stated he would not be seeking a third term in the House of Representatives this fall. In a statement posted online, LaTurner alluded to the stress of the job itself as well as the current wave of "dysfunction" plaguing the lower chamber of Congress.
"[T]he busy schedule of serving in and running for Congress has taken a toll," LaTurner said. "The unrepeatable season of life we are in, where our kids are still young and at home, is something I want to be more present for."
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"Undoubtedly, the current dysfunction on Capitol Hill is distressing, but it almost always has been; we just didn't see most of it," LaTurner continued, adding that he remains "optimistic about the future of this country."
LaTurner's retirement makes him the 14th House Republican to announce his decision to leave the 118th U.S. Congress, according to Ballotpedia's tally of departures. While LaTurner will remain in the House until the 118th Congress gavels out at the end of 2024, others have not waited in leaving Washington. Tomorrow, Rep. Mike Gallagher — a 4-term House Republican — is officially leaving the House with six months to go before Election Day, citing constant threats from critics.
"This is more just me wanting to prioritize being with my family," Gallagher said this week. "I signed up for the death threats and the late-night swatting, but they did not. And for a young family, I would say this job is really hard."
Of the 14 Republicans who have announced their retirements, 11 have done so since House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) won the gavel last fall. Some of those departures include high-ranking members, including committee chairs and members from districts considered safe seats not at risk of flipping in November.
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Johnson can currently only afford to have two defections from his own party in order to pass legislation, assuming full attendance. His majority suffered a significant blow after Rep. Thomas Suozzi (D-New York) won a special election in February to replace former Rep. George Santos (R-New York), who was expelled following a damning report from the House Committee on Ethics.
The trend of House GOP retirement announces may still continue. After longtime Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colorado) announced his sudden departure from the House of Representatives in March, he suggested others may soon follow suit.
"I think it's the next three people that leave that they're going to be worried about," Buck said of his GOP colleagues.
Click here to read LaTurner's full retirement announcement.
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