Three Republican lawmakers, including Georgia Rep. Drew Ferguson, have declared their intention to step down from their positions in the House.
Ferguson is well-known for his connections to former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and also served as Chief Deputy Whip to Majority Whip Steve Scalise. With McCarthy set to resign at the end of the year, the Republican leadership is changing.
“Julie and I look forward to spending more time with our children and grandchildren while continuing to work to keep Georgia the best state in America to live and do business,” Ferguson said in a statement.
His fourth term representing the 3rd District in western Georgia ends at the end of next year, but he intends to finish it.
Two months before the announcement, Ferguson claimed that members of his family had been threatened with death. This incident occurred during the Republican Party’s internal strife over choosing a new House speaker after the removal of California Representative Kevin McCarthy.
The threats came after Ferguson publicly withdrew his support for Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan, who is well-liked by far-right conservatives. Ferguson vehemently denied endorsing “a bully” as speaker, calling the threats “unacceptable, unforgivable, and will never be tolerated.”
Ferguson, a former mayor of West Point, was elected to Congress in 2016 for a district that borders Georgia and Alabama and is located west of Atlanta. He is a member of the Ways and Means Committee, which is responsible for drafting tax legislation, and he was chief deputy whip of the House Republicans from 2018 to 2022, Fox News noted.
There is a strong Republican lean in Ferguson’s 3rd District. With 69% of the vote, he easily defeated a Republican primary opponent and was re-elected to a fourth term last year.
In response to a federal judge’s order, Georgia lawmakers redrawn the state’s congressional map in the past few weeks to include a district with a Black majority. However, the Republican-controlled legislature has already drawn up a plan—which is now waiting for approval from the courts—that would ensure Republican incumbents in the state’s U.S. House delegation keep their 9-5 majority.
— Congressman Drew Ferguson (@RepDrewFerguson) December 14, 2023
In November, a pair of Republicans in Congress announced they wouldn’t seek re-election next year, with one of them blaming former President Donald Trump for his decision.
Reps. Ken Buck, R-Colo., and Kay Granger, R-Texas, both made their announcements, with Buck telling MSNBC his decision is related “in part to his party’s reliance on former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.”
“I’ve decided, Andrea, I’m not going to seek re-election,” Buck said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports.”
The Colorado Republican revealed his decision after Granger, 80, announced she would be stepping away next year as well.
“I’m joining Kay and probably some others in the near future, but I’ve decided that it is time for me to do some other things,” Buck said. “I always have been disappointed with our inability in Congress to deal with major issues, and I’m also disappointed that the Republican Party continues to rely on this lie that the 2020 election was stolen and rely on the Jan. 6 narrative and political prisoners from Jan. 6 and other things.”
He noted further: “If we’re going to solve difficult problems, we’ve got to deal with some very unpleasant truths or lies and make sure that we project to the public what the truth is.”
In her statement, Granger, chairwoman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, said she believes it’s time for someone younger to take her place.
“As I announce my decision to not seek re-election, I am encouraged by the next generation of leaders in my district,” she said. “It’s time for the next generation to step up and take the mantle and be a strong and fierce representative for the people.”
“Although I am not running for re-election, I plan to serve out the remainder of my term and work with our new Speaker and my colleagues to advance our conservative agenda and finish the job I was elected to do,” Granger added.
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