Sixth Texan House Republican Calls It Quits Before 2020

House Armed Services Committee ranking member Mac Thornberry (R-TX) speaks during a news conference with fellow GOP leaders on June 11, 2019. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) announced his retirement Monday morning, saying that “the time has come for a change.”

“With over a year to go, I will continue to represent the people of the 13th District to the best of my ability,” he said in a statement. “Our nation faces many difficult challenges, and none of us can relax our efforts to meet and overcome them, whether at home or around the world.”

Thornberry is the sixth Republican congressman representing Texas to retire before 2020. However, whereas some, like Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), are abandoning increasingly blue districts, Thornberry is leaving a seat open in a ruby-red, safe Republican hold. The 13th district went for President Donald Trump in 2016 by a whopping 80 percent, per the Cook Political Report. 

Thornberry follows the lead of GOP Texan Representatives Hurd, Kenny Marchant, Pete Olson, Mike Conaway and Bill Flores.

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Notable Replies

  1. Bye, Felicia!

  2. Someone figured out it would be a long time before he was again chairman. In the minority for a decade(s) sucks.

  3. Avatar for erik_t erik_t says:

    Rats, ship, etc. Bye.

  4. I still think there is something else going on over in Texas. Like, the state legislature scandal has another, much bigger, boot to drop or something.

  5. It’s interesting how this is metastasizing in Texas specifically. Yes, they’ll be in the minority in the House of Reps. but the State is going through something that goes beyond just that. I guess we’ll find out within the next few election cycles.

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