House Rep. Mike Gallagher Announces Departure, Leaving Seat Open in Swing State
House Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wi., chairman of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, has made the decision to not seek re-election this year. This announcement leaves a vacant seat in a crucial swing state as the 2024 race gains momentum.
Gallagher’s departure adds to the growing number of Republican congress members who are planning to resign, further opening the door for Democrats to reclaim the House majority. The significance of his seat in Wisconsin’s 8th congressional district cannot be understated, given the state’s battleground status and the slim majority of House Republicans.
In a statement about his departure, Gallagher expressed his belief that electoral politics should not be a lifelong career and emphasized that Congress is not the ideal place to grow old.
Although Gallagher has diverged from his party on occasion, such as voting against the impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, he remains an influential representative for the GOP in a crucial swing state. While Wisconsin favored Trump in 2016, it swung in favor of President Joe Biden in 2020.
Gallagher’s retirement is expected to spark intense competition from both Republicans and Democrats in the race to fill his seat. Wisconsin’s 8th district leans slightly conservative, with Gallagher securing approximately 72% of the vote in the 2022 elections.
Democratic candidates, including Kristin Lyerly, an OBGYN from Wisconsin, are already considering running to flip Gallagher’s seat.
Gallagher, a GOP rising star, has served four terms in Congress. His unexpected departure comes after Republicans had considered him as a potential Senate candidate, a possibility he declined.
Gallagher’s Role in the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
In addition to his role as a representative for Wisconsin’s 8th district, Gallagher was appointed as the chairman of the high-profile Select Committee on the CCP, which was established last year.
The bipartisan committee is dedicated to overseeing and regulating U.S.-China relations. In January, FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed that U.S. investigators had successfully targeted and neutralized a Chinese-backed hacking group known as “Volt Typhoon,” garnering attention for the committee’s work.