There are basically two types of Republicans in the halls of Congress. The first is a traditional Republican who hopes to bite his or her lip and make it until the 2020 presidential election hopefully brings in a different president. The second kind of Republican is a member of the Trump party and committed to doing everything within her or his power to keeping him in office. Unfortunately, not all of the first group can wait it out. Here is what happened.
Conservative Representative Kenny Marchant (R-TX) was elected in 2004 from a suburban Dallas district. Last year, he won by only three points against a Democrat. He just decided to announce his retirement, meaning the GOP loses an important seat on the Ways and Means Committee.
He was the fourth Republican House member from Texas alone to see the writing on the wall. Thus far, 11 House Republicans have decided to retire or try for a different office in 2020. Right now, the Democrats have a 37-seat majority. If this flood of GOP members fleeing Congress continued, the Democrats would pick up an even greater majority.
It has been a long time since Democratic Ann Richards was governor of Texas, beginning in 1990-1994. Since then, Republicans have owned the state. The recent change back toward the Democrats has been caused by Republicans’ attachment to Donald Trump and his support of white nationalism in large part.
Marchant’s district is northwest of Dallas. In 2014, he won by 33 percentage points. In 2016, that win dropped to 17 percent, and last year he won by a mere three percent. Mitt Romney (R-UT) won his districts by 22 percent, and Trump only won it by six percent in 2016, according to The New York Times.
Texas Republican Representatives Chip Roy, Mike McCaul, and John Carter will also have a competitive race in 2020.
Two Democrats won over districts around metropolitan Dallas and Houston, Representatives Lizzie Fletcher and Colin Allred. Hurd’s and Olson’s districts were populated by nonwhite voters. When Hurd, the only black Republican in the House, decided to leave the House, that was difficult for the Republicans.
Democrats have already set up an office in Austin for 2020. They have applied the same technique as they did in Orange County, California, one that brought them a big win in 2018.
At this time, Trump still looks as if he will take Texas in 2020. However, he could drag down Republicans in the Senate and the House. College-educated voters made the difference in three of the retiring Texan Republicans.
Marchant just released his retirement announcement. In it he said:
‘It is time for me to announce that I will not seek another term as Congressman from the 24th District of Texas. I am looking forward to finishing out my term and then returning to Texas to start a new chapter.
“For the last 40 years, I have served my fellow North Texans, starting in local government as the Mayor and as a city council member of Carrollton, then to Austin as a 9-term State Representative, and then on to serving today in Washington, DC. What a wonderful opportunity it has been to serve them, and I want to thank them for trusting in me.
;To my staff, both in the district and in Washington, who have been professional and devoted in their service to the constituents of Texas 24, thank you for your tireless work. Again, I want to thank the constituents of the 24th District of Texas for letting me serve and I look forward to being back in Texas full time.’
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
