Another Senior Republican Member Of Congress Just Called It Quits
Hillary Clinton won his district by 9 points.
The nonpartisan Cook Political report just moved the district from lean Republican to lean Democrat.
Congressman Ed Royce, who is the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced Monday that he will retire from Congress at the end of this term.
Royce’s retirement means that his California congressional district – which Hillary Clinton won by 9 points – is now an even more likely Democratic pickup.
Royce becomes just the latest in series of high profile GOP retirements.
The rash of Republican retirements is a key sign that the party expects heavy losses in the 2018 midterm election.
In fact, in reaction to Royce’s retirement, the nonpartisan Cook Political report just moved the district from lean Republican to lean Democrat.
This is two-column jump worthy: Rep. Ed Royce (R) retirement moves #CA39 from Lean Republican to Lean Democratic at @CookPolitical. https://t.co/cIoco2phFQ
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) January 8, 2018
Royce represents the Fullerton area of California and has served in Congress since 1992.
According to the LA Times Royce released the following statement announcing his retirement:
“In this final year of my Foreign Affairs Committee chairmanship, I want to focus fully on the urgent threats facing our nation, including: the brutal, corrupt and dangerous regimes in Pyongyang and Tehran, Vladimir Putin’s continued efforts to weaponize information to fracture western democracies, and growing terrorist threats in Africa and Central Asia.”
[image via CNN screenshot]
