Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-Ga.), who has represented the 11th Congressional District since 2015, announced he will not seek re-election, citing a desire to spend more time with family. His retirement is part of a broader wave of House departures this cycle, with about 50 members leaving or running for other offices. Loudermilk has been a vocal critic of Democratic-led Jan. 6 investigations and currently chairs a GOP subcommittee probing the events. His decision opens one of four Republican-held Georgia seats that will change hands this year.
Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk Announces He Will Not Seek Re-Election
FILE - Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., speaks during a House Committee on House Administration hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington May 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
ATLANTA — Republican U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House this year, saying he wants to spend more time with his family after nearly a decade in Congress.
Loudermilk, 62, has represented Georgia's 11th Congressional District since 2015. His decision is part of a broader wave of departures: roughly 50 House members so far have said they are stepping down or pursuing other offices this cycle.
Why He’s Leaving
"I first ran for election to Congress in 2014 and, as I stated then, representing the people in Congress is a service, not a career," Loudermilk said. "And although I continue to have strong support from the people of the 11th Congressional District, I believe it is time to contribute to my community, state, and nation in other ways."
The congressman cited a desire for "more dedicated time" with family as a primary reason for his retirement from the House.
Political Context
Loudermilk's departure is one of four Republican-held House seats in Georgia that will change hands this year. In January, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned, triggering a March special election. Meanwhile, Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins are both seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate as they aim to challenge incumbent Sen. Jon Ossoff.
Background And Controversies
The 11th District, northwest of Atlanta, includes all of Bartow, Gordon and Pickens counties and parts of Cherokee and Cobb counties. The Cook Political Report ranks it among the most solidly Republican districts in Georgia.
Before joining Congress, Loudermilk served in the Air Force, chaired the Bartow County Republican Party and served six years in the Georgia House of Representatives and two years in the Georgia Senate.
Loudermilk came under scrutiny from the House January 6 committee after he gave a tour of parts of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5, 2021; the committee suggested some tour participants might have been assessing security arrangements. Loudermilk denied any wrongdoing and called the allegations a "smear campaign."
After House Republicans regained the majority, Loudermilk led a subcommittee that released a report accusing former Rep. Liz Cheney of improper conduct related to the Democratic-led Jan. 6 investigation and called for a criminal probe into alleged witness tampering. He currently chairs another subcommittee charged with conducting further investigations into the Jan. 6 events.
With Loudermilk’s exit, the race for his seat is expected to draw significant attention and investment from both parties as candidates prepare to contest a reliably Republican district in the upcoming election.
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