Republican Representative Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin declared on Saturday that he would not pursue reelection, following a trend of GOP members opting out of another run.
Gallagher, who currently heads the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, disclosed his decision to transition into the private sector.
Mike Gallagher will not seek reelection in 2024 https://t.co/kERaPFF2QZ https://t.co/kERaPFF2QZ
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 10, 2024
His future endeavors will continue to focus on national security and defense policies, which were focal points during his time in Congress.
In a statement, Gallagher reflected on his eight-year congressional journey, stressing his commitment to approach his tenure as akin to a high-intensity deployment.
“Eight years ago, when I first ran for Congress, I promised to treat my time in office as a high-intensity deployment,” Gallagher said in a statement.
“Through my bipartisan work on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, chairing the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and chairing the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, we’ve accomplished more on this deployment than I could have ever imagined.”
He continued: “But the Framers intended citizens to serve in Congress for a season and then return to their private lives. Electoral politics was never supposed to be a career and, trust me, Congress is no place to grow old. And so, with a heavy heart, I have decided not to run for re-election.”
He highlighted achievements such as bipartisan collaborations on committees, chairing the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, and leading the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Acknowledging the Founding Fathers' intent for citizens to serve in Congress temporarily, Gallagher expressed his belief that electoral politics was never intended as a lifelong career.
Citing his support for term limits, he emphasized that Congress is not a conducive environment for aging, affirming his decision to forego reelection while pledging to remain active in defense and foreign policy advocacy.
Initially elected to represent Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District in 2016, Gallagher swiftly rose as a prominent conservative figure.
"Over a dozen House Republicans have stated that they will leave Congress at the end of their term. House Republicans currently control 219 seats to Democrats’ 212, with four vacancies. Democrats need a net gain of five seats to win control of the House – which could shrink to four if they pick up expelled former Rep. George Santos’ vacant New York seat in Tuesday’s special election," CNN reported.
Despite serving only four terms, he was viewed as a strong candidate for the United States Senate and held the distinction of being the youngest committee chairman in recent memory.
