Yet Another Longtime House Republican Joins Growing Exodus From Congress

Another one bites the dust…

Missouri Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer has become the latest GOP Congressman to announce that he will not be seeking re-election.

His term ends in December.

Missouri Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer announces plans to retire at the end of his term https://t.co/RoiBomZufr pic.twitter.com/55vmrQeN0K

— The Hill (@thehill) January 5, 2024

Here’s Rep. Luetkemeyer’s official retirement announcement on X:

pic.twitter.com/Kp2TmrR7jw

— Blaine Luetkemeyer (@RepBlaine) January 4, 2024

Fox News has more details on the latest addition to the growing list of House Republicans leaving Congress:

A Missouri Republican has become the latest House GOP lawmaker to announce his retirement.

Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., announced Thursday he will not be seeking re-election in 2024.

“It has been [an] honor to serve the great people of the Third Congressional District and State of Missouri these past several years,” Luetkemeyer said in a statement.

“However, after a lot of thoughtful discussion with my family, I have decided not to file for re-election and retire at the end of my term in December.”

Luetkemeyer said he looks forward to “continuing to work” with his constituents’ “myriad of issues” and “work on the many difficult and serious problems confronting our great country” for the rest of his term.

“There is still a lot to do,” Luetkemeyer said. “As we tackle the many challenges we face, I hope we remember what someone once said that ‘the greatness of our country is not found in the halls of Congress but in the hearts and homes of our people.’

“That assessment is still true today. As we look to the future, I believe that if we work hard, stay together, and believe in ourselves our best days are indeed still ahead.”

Shortly after Rep. Luetkemeyer announced his retirement plans, State Senator Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman became the first to jump into the race to replace his seat.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported locally on this development:

State Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman on Friday became the first Republican to jump into the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer.

“I’m running for Congress because we need to secure the southern border and put a stop to the endless flow of illegal immigration; we need to protect and defend human life; we need to stand up for our daughters and the girls of our state by protecting women’s sports; and we need to get back to the economic prosperity we had under President Trump by reversing Bidenomics, which has inflated the price of everything for Missouri families,” the Jefferson County lawmaker said in a news release.

Coleman’s announcement could be the first of many. Luetkemeyer’s retirement promises to lead to a competitive GOP primary as ambitious state lawmakers and others see an opportunity to capture a rare open congressional seat.