Wisconsin Republican Mike Gallagher announced on Saturday that he won't seek reelection.
The decision by Gallagher, who was considered a rising star, leaves the race for Wisconsin's GOP-leaning 8th Congressional District wide open.
Gallagher chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Gallagher told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he will leave Congress at the end of his current term to enter the private sector and spend more time with his young family. He said his future work will be in-line with his national security goals and focus on defense policy.
“I really just feel like I've accomplished much more than I even thought I could when I set out, and I firmly don't believe that the best use for the next chapter of my career is staying in Congress for another decade,” Gallagher said in an interview.
Gallagher, 39, was first elected to Wisconsin's 8th Congressional District in 2016 and quickly made foreign policy and attempts at congressional reform his focus. The former Marine and intelligence officer has argued for term limits and said his decision to leave stays true to that thought process.
“I think that the institution is healthier when people serve for a period of time and then go home,” Gallagher said. He noted he has two young daughters and wants to grow his family.
Gallagher voted against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week, drawing the ire of his party's right flank. The decision temporarily thwarted House Republicans. Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Gallagher argued that impeaching a cabinet secretary for mismanagement would “set a dangerous new precedent that would be used against future Republican administrations.”
A GOP consultant with ties to the district has expressed interest in running for the seat.
The House will vote again on impeaching Mayorkas on Tuesday.
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