Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) announced on Thursday that he will not seek reelection in 2026, opening up a seat in Texas that will likely stay in Republican hands thanks to recent redistricting.
Luttrell said the flooding natural disaster that occurred over the Fourth of July weekend put his job and purpose into perspective.
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“It reminded me that while the work in Washington is important, my family, my community, and my state need me here – closer to home,” Luttrell said in a statement.
“I’m not walking away from service, and I’m certainly not walking away from the fight. I’m choosing a different path – one that allows me to stay rooted in Texas and focus on the people and places that matter most.”
He said he is “not stepping out of the arena,” suggesting he might seek a different statewide office or remain active in political circles.
“I will continue to champion the values that define our great state: faith, family, and freedom,” the Republican said. “Texas is where I belong – and it’s where I can do the most good.”
Luttrell has represented Texas’s Eighth Congressional District since 2023. A Navy veteran, he praised the work he’s done in Congress to support fellow veterans while serving on the Armed Services, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs committees.
The congressman’s district includes parts of Montgomery, Walker, and Harris counties in Texas and all of Polk and San Jacinto counties. But the new congressional map adopted by the Texas Legislature and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) last month drops Polk and San Jacinto counties from the Eighth District and adds all of Waller County, which sits northwest of Houston.
Had those lines been in place for the 2024 presidential election, President Donald Trump would have carried the state by 63%, all but assuring that Luttrell’s successor will be a Republican.
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Luttrell is the latest House Republican from the Lone Star State to forgo reelection in next year’s midterms. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), policy chairman for the conservative Freedom Caucus, announced last month he would not seek another term in the House and instead would run for Texas attorney general to succeed Ken Paxton.
Paxton is running for Senate to oust incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in what is expected to be a messy and competitive GOP primary. The current attorney general has endorsed Aaron Reitz over Roy to succeed him; Reitz and Roy are former staffers to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Cruz has endorsed Roy for attorney general.