Another Republican House member is calling it quits.
Rep. Vern Buchanan, the 74-year-old Florida Republican who was in line to chair the powerful Ways and Means Committee, said he will not run for reelection, becoming one of more than 30 GOP lawmakers to either retire or run for other office in the 2026 midterms.
“Serving the people of Southwest Florida has been the honor of my lifetime,” Buchanan said in a statement. “After 20 years of service, I believe it’s the right time to pass the torch and begin a new chapter in my life.”
Crank up the Queen banger because, as the lyrics go, another one bites the dust.
Buchanan's Tampa-area 16th District could be competitive in a wave election. President Donald Trump won it by 15 percentage points in 2024, according to data from The Downballot. And Democrats have overperformed in special elections by an average of 13 points since Trump returned to office.
In other words, with the right candidate and a large blue wave, this open-seat race could flip. But it would still be difficult, no doubt.
As for Buchanan, the fact that someone in line for one of the most powerful committees in Congress would decide to hang it up is as good a sign as any that Republicans know they will be returning to Congress in 2027 in the minority.
President Donald Trump, shown on Jan. 9.
"Buchanan is top in seniority on the R side on Ways and Means, one of the most powerful committees in Congress, and could have chaired it in time. Some R retirements were seeking other office or personal stuff but this imo looks like a true 'we are screwed' retirement ala 2018," Aaron Fritschner, a top aide to Democratic Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia, wrote in a post on X.
Indeed, Democrats are clear favorites to win a House majority in the 2026 midterms—a probability that grows as Trump and his authoritarian actions get more and more unpopular. In fact, Democrats now even have a chance at winning control of the Senate, if a slim one, despite an extremely challenging map this year.
A look at recent polling tells you why.
Trump's approval rating is near its lowest level since he took office, with just 39.3% of the public approving of the job he's doing as president, according to polling analysis outlet FiftyPlusOne.
His approval has fallen as his tariff policy has hurt the economy and as his violent immigration goons have killed two citizens in cold blood for exercising their First and Second Amendment rights.
Just as troubling for Republicans is that the GOP is now viewed more unfavorably than the Democratic Party, whose popularity had sagged as its own voters grew frustrated with Democratic leaders’ response to Trump.
According to the latest Echelon Insights survey, just 40% of likely voters view the Republican Party favorably, while 44% have a favorable view of Democrats. That’s a massive swing in just one year, when Echelon found Republicans with a 48% favorable rating.
Turns out, refusing to stand up to your unpopular leader is not a recipe for success.
Go figure.
