Key Takeaways:
- At least a quarter of Texas’ congressional delegation is expected to leave next year, weakening the state’s influence in the U.S. House
- The departures will result in a loss of institutional knowledge, committee seniority, and relationships that are crucial in Congress
- Texas’ political power in the House is largely due to its quantity of members, with 38 representatives, but its power has waned in recent years due to retirements and a shift in the Republican center of gravity to Florida
- The state’s ability to rebuild its clout will depend on the new members’ willingness to cooperate and work together
- The delegation’s unity and seniority will be crucial in using their power to set the agenda for the Republican conference and secure community project funding for the state
Introduction to the Issue
At least a quarter of Texas’ congressional delegation is headed for the exits next year, a massive departure that will weaken the state’s clout in the U.S. House and force its members to rebuild Texas’ oft-cited prestige on Capitol Hill. Nine members of Congress from Texas, six Republicans and three Democrats, have announced they will depart at the end of this term. In addition, four incumbents are facing serious primary challengers, and three incumbents in South Texas are facing competitive general election challenges. This turnover will result in a significant loss of institutional knowledge, committee seniority, and relationships that are the coin of the realm in Congress.
The Impact of Departures
The rush for the exits in 2026 will at least tie the delegation’s high-water mark for departures in the past 50 years, if not surpass it. The turnover will issue a blow to Texas’ sway in the lower chamber, which in many ways has yet to recover from the exodus of high-profile Republicans during Trump’s first term. U.S. Rep. Roger Williams, R-Willow Park, who has served for 13 years, said, "We’re slim right now, [from] what we used to be… But that’s ’cause we’ve had a lot of retirements. That happens. Now you’ve got to rebuild." Texas’ political power in the House owes to its quantity of members, with 38 representatives, more than any state but California, and contributes the greatest number of members, 25, to the Republican conference.
Rebuilding Clout
Despite the departures, some members are optimistic about the state’s future influence. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, an Austin Republican who is among the retiring Texans, contended that the state’s sheer numbers portend a recovery. "I think hopefully we’ll see a return," McCaul said. "I think with the five new seats — regardless of what you think about redistricting — that’s going to add a lot more muscle." The state does boast chairmanships of two of the House’s largest ideological caucuses, with Reps. August Pfluger, R-San Angelo, and Greg Casar, D-Austin, chairing the Republican Study Committee and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, respectively. However, the ability to use that power requires a combination of seniority and unity within the delegation.
The Challenge of Unity
The new members, in both parties, will be starting from scratch, at the bottom of committee rosters, and unlikely to have much say on major legislation or on leadership’s thinking. Some senior members of the delegation worried that narrow majorities and an increasingly polarized institution are sending well-meaning members packing, and that the frequent delegation shuffling makes it hard to build influence. U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, who was first elected to Congress in 1996, said he has spoken to numerous candidates running for the House and advised them to be team players if they get elected. Texas’ ability to rebuild its clout, he said, hinges on new delegation members being willing to cooperate.
The Good Old Days
In modern times, the peaks of Texas Republicans’ congressional influence came first in the Bush era and then again in Trump’s first term. The state boasted power across the federal government, with DeLay as House majority leader, shaping the GOP congressional agenda and successfully pushing the Texas Legislature to redraw its congressional map mid-decade. However, the high of 2017 has long since worn off, with ten incumbents leaving after the following year’s midterm election, and only three of the seven committee chairs and three cardinals from Texas remaining in Congress.
The Unity Problem
Texas’ weakened political power, some delegation members say, goes beyond a lack of seniority. Texas Republicans have not been immune to the divisions, ideologically and stylistically, that have so often stymied the House GOP in recent years. The delegation has members from all five major ideological caucuses on the right, from the centrist Problem Solvers Caucus to the hard-right House Freedom Caucus. Without agreement among the delegation, it can be difficult to come up with unified requests to leadership or wield their power as a bloc.
Why Members are Leaving
Members offered different explanations for why so many colleagues are calling it quits. Sessions noted that members have not had a pay raise since 2009, and that Washington is an expensive city. McCaul said it’s frustrating to pour so much effort into bills that never become law. Many also blamed a political culture that has become increasingly toxic. U.S. Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Victoria, said, "In spite of what it may seem, this really is a demanding job." The increased unproductiveness from Congress, heightened emphasis on attention over legislation, and the breakdown of bipartisanship don’t help the issue.
The Future of the Delegation
As more new people come in, forged in the political firestorm of Trump-era politics rather than bygone times of bipartisanship, some members worry about the delegation they are leaving behind. U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, a seven-term member who is retiring after being drawn out of his district, said it benefits Texans of both parties to have powerful members who can secure community project funding, or earmarks, for the state. He is worried that after he leaves, the city of Fort Worth will lack congressional champions to bring home money, due to lack of seniority, the opposition of some Republicans to earmarks, and the city being carved between multiple districts. The delegation’s future will depend on the new members’ ability to work together and rebuild the state’s clout in the House.
