California Republican Joins Growing Crowd Of Retiring House GOPers

Rep. Paul Cook (R-CA) has bowed out of a 2020 reelection bid, opting for a run for the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors instead.

Cook joins a wave of Republicans leaving the House, and specifically is departing from an ever-shrinking California GOP contingent. Of California’s 53 House seats, only seven are currently occupied by Republicans.

According to the Los Angeles Times, an incumbent on the county board recently chose to retire, leaving the seat open.

Cook’s district, California’s 8th, seems like it’ll be a fairly safe Republican hold. According to the Cook Political Report, it went for Trump by 54.7 percent to Hillary Clinton’s 39.6 in 2016, and has a general Republican lean of 9 points.