Another member of the Texas Republican Congressional delegation has announced they will not seek re-election.
On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Will Hurd announced he would not seek re-election, but would instead “pursue opportunities outside the halls of Congress to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security.”
I have made the decision to not seek reelection for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas in order to pursue opportunities outside the halls of Congress to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security. https://t.co/GeZ4Hh264f
— Rep. Will Hurd (@HurdOnTheHill) August 2, 2019
A former CIA officer, Hurd was first elected in to Congress 2014 after defeating one-term Democrat Pete Gallego. The district he has represented since, Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, sprawls from El Paso to San Antonio and includes much of the U.S.-Mexico border.
The district has also been hotly contested, flipping between Republicans and Democrats multiple times over the past decade.
The fifth most liberal Republican member of Congress according to FreedomWorks, Hurd has long stoked the ire of GOP party activists for routinely palling around and voting with Democrats and criticizing efforts of President Donald Trump to secure the border.
In the 2016 election, Hurd refused to endorse Trump and instead called on him to drop out of the race; the next election cycle, he made national headlines and promoted Beto O’Rourke in advance of his campaign against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz by embarking on a “bipartisan road trip.”
Just this year Hurd broke with his own party to vote with Democrats against border security efforts multiple times and told media outlets that Trump’s claim the border was in crisis was a “myth.”
With Hurd announcing he will not be seeking re-election on Twitter, many Democrats replied with heartfelt goodbyes, saying they would miss him in Congress.
You will be missed by Democrats who appreciate our democracy’s need for people of integrity to represent the conservative viewpoint. Best wishes.
— 81 (@81Horses) August 2, 2019
As a liberal, I’m sad to see you go.
Whether or not you ever run for office again, I hope you leave the party that abandoned conservative values long ago. The Republican Party is lost. It’s time for conservatives to form a new one untainted by the racist nationalism of Trump.— Ann Rose Thomas (@AnnRoseT) August 2, 2019
An even greater number of conservatives gave him good riddances, a point noted by San Antonio resident Chris Corbett.
Just looking at all of the comments here makes it obvious that @HurdOnTheHill is valued more by the left than those on the right. I’m in the next district over, so I’ve paid attention to Hurd. And personally, I think we can get a better conservative in that seat.
— Chris (@chrisacorbett) August 2, 2019
You're anything but CONSERVATIVE… very left of RINO… the voters have had it with you.
— ????????????????Tamara????????????????Lynn ???????????????? (@Tamaralynn212) August 2, 2019
Glad to hear @HurdOnTheHill is retiring from Congress.
Let’s get a TRUE conservative and strong defender of @realDonaldTrump in his place! https://t.co/dSeMqjMjLM
— Jim Williams (@southernwayjim) August 2, 2019
On the heels of Hurd’s announcement, Republicans have yet to field a candidate in the race, but several Democrats have already announced campaigns for the seat. Both parties are expected to compete intensely for it in the general election.
