Rep. Jake LaTurner, R-Kan., said Thursday he will not seek reelection for a third term, putting even more pressure on Republicans to hold their razor-thin majority in the House.
LaTurner, 36, who represents Kansas' 2nd Congressional District, said in a statement posted on X that serving in and running for Congress "has taken a toll" and he wants to pursue other opportunities and spend more time with his family.
The House Republican majority has been narrowed to 218-213 following the early departures of such lawmakers as former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of California, Ken Buck of Colorado, Bill Johnson of Ohio, and Chris Stewart of Utah, plus the expulsion of George Santos of New York. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, chair of the House Armed Services Committee, was set to leave Friday but might stay through the weekend to vote on a series of foreign aid bills to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific region.
Unlike them, LaTurner, a member of the Appropriations and Oversight committees, has vowed to finish his term. Thirteen other House Republicans, as well as 12 Democrats, said they will not seek reelection in November, according to Ballotpedia, putting control of the House up for grabs.
"The people of Kansas who elected me to serve in the United States House of Representatives have given me the professional honor of my life, but it is time to pursue other opportunities and have the benefit of spending more time with my family," LaTurner said in the statement. "Suzanne and I are the proud parents of four young children, and for us the busy schedule of serving in and running for Congress has taken a toll. The unrepeatable season of life we are in, where our kids are still young and at home, is something I want to be more present for."
LaTurner's departure leaves no Republican candidate for the Aug. 6 primary. The Kansas City Star reported Thursday that Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson and Kansas House Majority Leader Chris Croft are potential candidates.
LaTurner's district covers much of eastern Kansas and has voted for every Republican presidential nominee since 2000. LaTurner won his two elections with 55.2% of the vote in 2020 and 57.6% in 2022.
Mike Kuckelman, a former chair of the Kansas Republican Party, told the Star that most people believed LaTurner would run again. He said the news caught him by surprise.
"So I imagine there are people scrambling now to kick the tires," Kuckelman said. "But what will be interesting to see is how many of those actually jump in the race."
LaTurner said the current dysfunction on Capitol Hill is distressing.
"I remain optimistic about the future of this country, not only because we have overcome more significant obstacles in the past, but that the vast majority of people I have served with are good and trying to do the right thing, and because our founders, divinely inspired, understood human nature and created this republic to endure," he said.
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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