Republican Control of the House Dangling by a Thread

Republicans’ control of the House of Representatives is continuing to slip, with Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher announcing on Friday that he intends to leave the chamber next month.

In a statement shared to X, formerly Twitter, Gallagher, 40, wrote that he will resign from his position of representing Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District on April 19. The GOP representative is serving his fourth term in Congress and announced early last month that he did not have plans to run for reelection when his seat is up in the fall.

“I’ve worked closely with House Republican leadership on this timeline and look forward to seeing Speaker Johnson appoint a new chair to carry out the important mission of the Select Committee on the Chinese Community Party,” read Gallagher’s statement. “My office will continue to operate and provide constituent services to the Eighth District for the remainder of the term.”

Wisconsin Representative Mike Gallagher speaks to reporters after a House Republican Caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on September 21, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Gallagher on Friday announced that he would step down from Congress…

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Gallagher’s decision to not seek reelection was previously praised by supporters of the Make American Great Again (MAGA) movement, who derisively label Gallagher a RINO (Republican In Name Only) after he voted against the impeachment articles brought against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last month.

Under Wisconsin law, Gallagher’s seat will remain empty until the general election in November. A special election would have been held to fill his vacancy if he left Congress prior to April 9.

Gallagher’s departure means Republicans will slip to a four-person majority in the House next month, which means the GOP will not be able to withstand losing more than one vote if parties stick to their lines. This places even more pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is already under fire from conservatives for holding a vote on a disputed $1.2 trillion federal spending bill earlier in the day Friday that would avert a government shutdown if passed.

When reached for comment, Johnson’s office directed Newsweek to a statement the speaker made over X regarding Gallagher’s resignation, writing that the congressman “has been a trusted friend and colleague since we both entered Congress in 2017, and it has been an honor to serve alongside him.”

“We will greatly miss his leadership on Capitol Hill, but we are happy for him, Anne, and their daughters as they begin the next exciting chapter of their lives,” Johnson added.

Colorado Representative Ken Buck, a Republican who has served his district since 2015, announced last week that he would resign from Congress following the end of this week. Buck had previously said that he would not seek reelection after his term is up in November, and told reporters on Capitol Hill after making his announcement that he was leaving due to Republican dysfunction.

A special election to fill Buck’s seat is scheduled for June 25, which coincides with Colorado’s primary elections for House races.

After Friday, the House’s party breakdown will be at 218 Republicans and 213 Democrats. There are currently three vacant seats in the chamber: Ohio’s 6th District, California’s 20th District and New York’s 26th District.

California’s open seat was left by former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican who was booted from his leadership position by members of his own party in the fall and resigned at the end of last year. A runoff election to fill McCarthy’s seat until the end of its current term will be held on May 19.

Former Ohio GOP Congressman Bill Johnson left his district in January to run Youngstown State University. A special election to fill the remainder of Johnson’s term will be held on June 11.

New York Democratic Representative Brian Higgins left his position last month, and a special election to fill his seat is scheduled for April 30.