According to reporting citing multiple attendees, Speaker Mike Johnson disclosed to GOP donors at a Florida retreat that Rep. Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), 73, may have a terminal diagnosis, explaining he urged Dunn to complete his term despite health issues.
Dunn, a retiring surgeon from a safe Republican district, announced in January 2026 that he would not run for reelection amid speculation about his health. For a brief period, reports suggested he would leave early, but his continued service bolsters the GOP’s one-seat House majority through January 2027.
The Tallahassee Democrat reports:
“Johnson asked participants in a political briefing at a GOP retreat in Key Biscayne, Fla., to pray for Dunn,” Sherman posted.
The 73-year-old Republican, who has said he would not seek reelection this year, has denied previous reports that he planned to step down as early as this summer. Republicans now have bare a minimum number of 218 members – or a two-vote majority – to control the U.S. House.
No further details were available as of noon on Feb. 27. Requests for comment are pending with Dunn’s office in Washington, D.C., and with a spokesperson for the Republican Party of Florida.
Dunn, a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump, has represented the 16-county 2nd Congressional District in north Florida for 10 years. He is also among a record number of 30 congressional Republicans not seeking reelection in 2026.
His office maintains he will complete his term.
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