The GOP is having a heavy turnover in leadership positions.
House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) is the latest to decide not to run for re-election.
Talking Points…
- Green stepping down
- House exodus
- Analysis
It is not normal for elected officials to decide this late in their term that they will not seek re-election. However, that is the bombshell dropped on Speaker Johnson (R-LA) and the rest of the party on Wednesday by Rep. Mark Green.
Green’s seat is expected to stay red, as the district is rated as “solid Republican,” but that is not the real issue here. With Green leaving, it means we will have another seat to defend with an unknown name, meaning the RNC is going to have to help with fundraising until the candidate gets some name recognition.
In announcing his resignation, Green hinted that the state of politics today is the reason that he has decided to step away. He stated:
“At the start of the 118th Congress, I promised my constituents to pass legislation to secure our borders and to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable. Today, with the House having passed H.R. 2 and Secretary Mayorkas impeached, it is time for me to return home.
“Our country — and our Congress — is broken beyond most means of repair. I have come to realize our fight is not here within Washington, our fight is with Washington. As I have done my entire life, I will continue serving this country — but in a new capacity.”
The GOP House seems to be exhausted with the state of the party right now, with several notable leaders in the party deciding to step away from their office. In addition to Green, the following members have also decided not to run for re-election:
We now have roughly two dozen Republicans who have chosen to step aside from their House seat, with only a fraction of them moving on to seek another office. While we have openly asked for turnover in the House, losing someone like Green, who has only three terms, is a bit of a blow to the party, especially in leadership.
This puts the RNC in a difficult spot, supporting a presidential candidate with limited funds due to the fact his campaign and PACs are supporting his legal battles (as is the RNC), and dozens of seats that will now have to be defended with candidates without a lot of name recognition.
According to the most recent reports, the RNC only has about $8 million on hand, and Donald Trump’s legal funds are drained, reportedly expected to run out of cash sometime in July. Trump has been pushing for his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to be named the co-chair, who is already on record saying that every penny of the RNC money will be dedicated to putting Trump back in office.
The GOP is in bad shape here, with a lot of seats to defend on a slim House majority, a presidential candidate and party committee that is cash strapped, and the need to also take over the Senate if they want to get anything of significance passed if they manage to win the White House. Forget all the polling at this point because if they do not get their finances figured out, this election will be a complete and utter disaster.
