by Audrey Conklin
Texas Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry announced his retirement Monday, the top House Armed Services rep. announced in a statement.
Thornberry was largely in favor of boosting military spending, and he helped win more than $700 billion for President Donald Trump’s defense budget, according to Politico.
“It has been a great honor to serve the people of the 13th District of Texas as their congressman for the last 25 years,” Thornberry said in a statement, Politico reported. “They have given me opportunities to serve the nation in ways I could have never imagined, including as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.”
News: Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, who has served in the House since 1995, is retiring.
He's the top Republican on the Armed Services Cmte. pic.twitter.com/50kdolCmOh
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 30, 2019
“We are reminded, however, that ‘for everything, there is a season,’ and I believe that the time has come for a change,” he added. “Therefore, I will not be a candidate for reelection in the 2020 election.”
Thornberry marks the 14th House Republican and sixth House Texas Republican to not seek reelection in 2020 since 2018, Dallas News reported Monday.
New: Republican Rep. Mac Thornberry has announced that he will not run for reelection next year, Dallas Morning News reports, making the 13-term lawmaker the 6th Texas Republican in Congress to head for the exits ahead of the 2020 election. https://t.co/7wfIIeU5G6
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 30, 2019
That number also includes including three other House Armed Services Republicans — Reps. Rob Bishop of Utah, Mike Conaway of Texas and Paul Mitchell of Michigan. Only four Democratic reps. have stepped down, according to the House Casualty list.
It has been rumored that more Republican retirements will be announced in the coming year, including that of Michigan Rep. Ted Upton, New York Rep. John Katkto and Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, according to a FiveThirtyEight report.
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Audrey Conklin is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
