Topline
Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., is resigning from Congress effective April 19, he announced Friday—delivering a major blow to the Republican conference’s slim majority that has shrunk as former President Donald Trump’s ideological allies have overtaken the GOP.
Key Facts
Gallagher, who announced last month he would not run for re-election, said he made the decision to leave before his term ends “after conversation with [his] family” and “worked closely with House Republican leadership” on his timeline for stepping down.
Gallagher has expressed frustrations with his party as it has become increasingly beholden to Trump’s divisive brand of politics—he said earlier this month he was unsure if he would attend the GOP convention in July, citing his decision not to seek re-election, and he was one of only four Republicans to vote against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
His resignation means Republicans can afford to lose just one vote to pass legislation without the support of Democrats, after a string of resignations and indicted former Rep. George Santos’, R-N.Y., removal from Congress.
Big Number
217. That’s the number of House seats Republicans will control after Gallagher steps down. Their majority has shrunk from 222-213 right after the 2022 midterm election to 217-213 once Gallagher leaves, If a Democrat wins the special election to replace Rep. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y. (a likely prospect as the district is a blue territory), their majority will shrink to 217-214.
Key Background
Gallagher’s announcement comes on the same day Trump critic, Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., will resign from Congress. Buck, a member of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, cited his fatigue with the dynamics of the Republican party, including its push to impeach President Joe Biden and Trump’s disproven stolen election claims, in announcing his decision. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, resigned Jan. 21 to take a job at Youngstown State University. Santos was expelled from Congress Dec. 1, and Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., subsequently won the special election to replace him. In perhaps the most dramatic example of the chaos that’s ensued during the 118th session of Congress, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was the first Republican member to leave or be forcibly removed when a small coalition of right-wing members banded together to oust him from the leadership role in October, and he subsequently resigned from Congress at the end of 2023.
What To Watch For
Gallagher’s seat in a GOP-favored district will remain vacant until November. California will hold a special election to replace McCarthy on May 21, though the GOP will regain that seat as two Republicans are running. The special election to replace Buck, who represents a solidly red district, is June 25.
