On Thursday, Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX, 23rd) became the sixth Republican in the last two weeks to announce their retirement from the House, following Rep. K. Michael. Conaway’s (R-TX, 11th) announcement on Wednesday. Hurd, the lone black Republican in the House, becomes the ninth party incumbent and the third from Texas to announce their retirement, further complicating GOP efforts to take back control of the House.
Hurd barely held the seat last year in a congressional district that borders 820 miles along the U.S.-Mexico border, and a district that President Donald Trump lost in 2016. He opposed Trump’s border wall proposal and was one of only 14 Republicans who voted to override the president’s national emergency declaration to divert funds to border wall construction. “After reflecting on how best to help our country… I have made the decision to not seek reelection for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas in order to pursue opportunities outside the halls of Congress to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security,” said Hurd in an announcement on his congressional website. Last night, he tweeted:
I’ve taken a conservative message to places that don’t often hear it. I’m going to say involved in politics to help make sure the Republican Party looks like America.
— Rep. Will Hurd (@HurdOnTheHill) August 2, 2019
