Nancy Pelosi Suffers Big Loss As Only Dem Rep From Kentucky Announces Retirement
Rep. John Yarmuth, chairman of the House Budget Committee and the only Democrat representative from Kentucky announced today that he will not be seeking re-election.
As the House Budget Committee chairman, he is trying to ram through Biden’s agenda. This is a bad sign for Pelosi as people don’t usually give up cushy jobs in safe seats. Is he afraid of being redistricted into a tough race or does he not want to be in the minority after 2022? Either way, it is bad news for Pelosi.
He said: “It’s been an incredible journey since my first campaign in 2006 until now. I will continue to fight for Louisville in Washington for another 15 months, and then, I will retire from Congress.
“I will have plenty more to say in the coming year as we fight to further our progressive values in D.C. and here at home. For now, please know that you have my gratitude and I am far from done fighting for you.
“The desire to have more control of my time in the years I have left has become a high priority. Candidly, I have found new and incomparable joy in spending time with my young grandson, and I’d like to spend more of my Golden Years with my family in Louisville,” he said.
From The Courier-Journal:
The only announced challenger to Yarmuth prior to his retirement announcement was state Rep. Attica Scott, a fellow Democrat from Louisville, though maps for each congressional district in Kentucky could change in 2022 with redistricting expected to be approved by the legislature.
Yarmuth said he intends to spend the next 15 months “working hard to build on my proudest moment, the passage of the American Rescue Plan.”
He added he also “will be working hard to ensure that our community is represented in Congress by the best possible Democratic man or woman.”
Moments after Yarmuth’s announcement, state Senate Minority Leader Morgan McGarvey, another Democrat from Louisville, announced in a tweet that he would run for Yarmuth’s seat.
From NBC:
The announcement makes him the fourth Democratic House member to announce they’re retiring at the end of this term ahead of what’s already expected to be a challenging year for Democrats looking to maintain their narrow majority in the House (five additional members are leaving their post at the end of this term because they’re running for higher office).
It's been an incredible journey since my first campaign in 2006 until now. I will continue to fight for Louisville in Washington for another 15 months, and then, I will retire from Congress.
— Rep. John Yarmuth (@RepJohnYarmuth) October 12, 2021
I will have plenty more to say in the months ahead but this is what I want you to know: pic.twitter.com/MXFmWrSTYv
Rep. John Yarmuth, the only Democrat representative from Kentucky, announces he's retiring. He's currently the House Budget Committee chairman helping spearhead Biden's economic agenda through Congress https://t.co/L8pgKwBBXy
— Marianna Sotomayor (@MariannaReports) October 12, 2021
McConnell and other KY Rs have argued against dismantling his Safe D Louisville district. One possible interpretation here is that Yarmuth doesn't want to serve in the minority — sometimes that's the inevitable signal when a senior member retires. https://t.co/OPZBnXSfWg
— Kyle Kondik (@kkondik) October 12, 2021