Georgia Republican Barry Loudermilk won't seek reelection to US House

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News/AP

February 4, 2026 / 10:31 PM EST / AP


Georgia Republican U.S. House member Barry Loudermilk, who has been active in efforts to discredit Democratic-led investigations into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, announced Wednesday that he won't seek reelection this year.

Loudermilk has served in Congress since 2015. He is part of a wave of incumbents exiting the House. So far, 50 are stepping down or running for some other office.

Four Republican-held congressional seats in Georgia will change hands this year. In addition to Loudermilk, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned from her seat in January, setting up a March special election. U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins are both running for the GOP's U.S. Senate nomination, aiming to unseat incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff.

Loudermilk, 62, said in a statement that he wanted to spend "more dedicated time" with his family.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/georgia-republican-barry-loudermilk-wont-seek-reelection-to-us-house/

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From NPR's tracker (updated as of today - Feb.. 5) - https://www.npr.org/2025/09/15/nx-s1-5534254/house-senate-retirement-tracker-2026

NPR is tracking the record number of congressional lawmakers who have announced they do not plan to run for reelection to their current seats in 2026. That number currently stands at 12 senators and 50 House members.

[TheRickles]

1. Those 62 seats are evenly split between D and R: 31 each are stepping down.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. NPR has -

There are more Republicans signaling their desire to exit Washington (35) than Democrats (27).

So not "evenly split" (although somewhat close).

[TheRickles]

21. The linked NPR list has 31 Dems and 41 Repubs on it. So none of the totals are consistent. ???

I originally counted the 31 Dems and assumed the Repubs would also be 31 (ie, 62 - 31). Not sure where these discrepancies are coming from.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. It looks like they included those noted as -

Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet are not up for reelection in 2026, but would resign their seats if they win their respective gubernatorial races.

So they are mixing some "mights" in there too.

I know a handful of states have a "resign to run" requirement (like FL & TX), so that might also be figuring into the calcs too.

[TheRickles]

25. Thanks. Appreciate your attention to detail!

[BumRushDaShow]

26. If one goes beyond these announcements, one could imagine that in addition to the soon-to-be-vacancies

there may be a whole pile of swing (R)s who will kiss their seats goodbye (including MAGats disappearing due to mid-Census redistricting), so the next Congress may be almost unrecognizable!

[TheRickles]

27. May it be so!

My main concern is how ICE policing the polling stations could lead to chaos and cancellation of the elections. But things are developing so quickly that this Administration might have already collapsed by November.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Oh, one of the Capital tour guides

Yeah he might like to duck that history.

[mdbl]

3. Wonder if he's one of the redacted in the Epstein files?

[GreenWave]

4. I prefer quietermilk anyway.

[GB_RN]

5. Isn't "More Time With My Family"...

Basically politico-speak for “I’m bailing before my sex scandal blows up in the news”?😂

[GiqueCee]

7. Or...

... he doesn't want to go down with a sinking ship. Either way, good riddance.

[mahina]

20. Or

He wants to spend more time with his lawyers, possibly

[RobertDevereaux]

6. Barry, you can look forward to...

…spending more time with your prison cell accommodations.

[rubbersole]

8. Bummer.

But it will give you more time to prepare your testimony before the Treason Tribunals.

[Callie1979]

9. We MUST elect Geoff Duncan in the GA Dem Gov primary!!! We could flip GA!

Best shot at winning and THAT is all that matters. Mayor Bottoms simply isnt going to cut it.

[Zorro]

10. Damage done. Mission accomplished.

[Ol Janx Spirit]

11. the words 'he wanted to spend "more dedicated time" with his family' are probably...

...the last words his actual family wanted to hear.

Wait, what, like here--in this house; all the time?

[PuraVidaDreamin]

23. LOL

Thanks. Needed the chuckle.

[lonely bird]

13. Hmmm

Did I miss “after prayerful consideration…”?

[peppertree]

15. Sure. With his lawyers.

[orleans]

14. 3 dems and 12! republicans running for governor nt

[Linda ladeewolf]

16. They are afraid to fight trump, they want democrats to do it for them.

They’ll be back after democrats clean up their shit, or they’ll try.

[SCantiGOP]

17. This announcement

Raises the collective IQ of the House by a point or two.
Glad to see him gone.

[JoseBalow]

18. Adios, Fucko!

[Pacifist Patriot]

19. I don't see a flip happening, but I will be keeping a close eye on MTG's district.

Those numbers will be a canary in a coal mine!

[Martin68]

22. The rats are jumping ship. You know what that means!