Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) announced Thursday that after nearly 20 years in the House, she is running for re-election, deciding it’s “time to serve the people of Eastern Washington in a new way.” I made it clear that I would not.
McMorris Rogers, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. 18th Republican Congressman He announced that he would not seek re-election in 2024, and on the 13th announced his intention to retire from public office.
“After much prayer and reflection, I have decided it is time to serve the people of Eastern Washington in a new way,” the 54-year-old congressman said. I wrote to X. “I will not run for re-election to the House of Peoples.”
In a statement released by her office, McMorris Rogers called her long term representing Washington’s 5th Congressional District “the honor and privilege of my life.”
“Especially as chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I have seen the best of Eastern Washington and the United States.” she said. “We will spend this year honoring the committee’s rich history and cultivating the tough ground necessary to legislate solutions that improve people’s lives and ensure America wins in the future.”
McMorris Rodgers served in Congressional leadership for 10 years as vice chair and chair of the House Republican Conference before being elected to the ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee in 2021.
In her memo, she praised her family, who “were cornered from the beginning” of her political career.
“I love seeing their pictures and notes on my office wall. Brian, Cole, Grace, and Bryn have given me the strength and courage to do my best every day,” McMorris Rogers said about her husband and three children.
“My brother quit his job to run my first campaign. My father covered every road in Eastern Washington with campaign signs. My mother was my biggest encourager and They were my most ardent advocates. Without their love, support, and patience, I could not have served as well as I did,” she added.
The Washington Republican is the third House Republican speaker to announce his resignation in recent months.
House Financial Services Chairman Patrick McHenry (R-North Carolina) and House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger (R-Texas) both announced late last year that they would not seek reelection.
“The best is yet to come,” McMorris Rodgers’ statement concluded.
