Rep. Mike Gallagher to leave office next month

Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, who announced last month that he would not seek re-election, has now announced that he plans to leave office next month.

His departure will shrink the GOP’s House majority to 217-213, which means that when all lawmakers participate in a vote, if even two Republicans join with Democrats there would be a 215-215 tie.

“After conversations with my family, I have made the decision to resign my position as a member of the House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s Eighth Congressional District effective April 19, 2024,” Gallagher said in a statement.

“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 Communist Party,” he continued. “My office will continue to operate and provide constituent services to the Eighth District for the remainder of the term. Four terms serving Northeast Wisconsin in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime and strengthened my conviction that America is the greatest country in the history of the world.”

Gallagher, who has served in the House since early 2017, was one of the 101 House Republicans who voted in favor of passing a swampy, earmark-laden government appropriations package on Friday, sending the proposal to the Senate.

Friday was the last day in office for GOP Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado, who announced last year that he would not seek re-election and then announced last week that he would leave Congress at the end of this week. Buck voted against the appropriations package on Friday.