House Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC) has confirmed reports that he will not seek reelection next term. McHenry, 48, temporarily served as acting House speaker for a three-week period in October after Rep. Matt Gaetz successfully used a ‘motion to vacate’ to oust the former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The North Carolina Republican’s short stint as the leader of the House came to an end with the election of Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as Speaker of the House.
The powerful chairman of the House Financial Services Committee has represented North Carolina’s 10th Congressional District since first winning office in 2004. Initially gaining attention as a die-hard critic of moderate Republicans, McHenry has since embraced less controversial roles in Congress, paving the way for his rise through the Republican leadership.
A close ally of former Speaker McCarthy, and member of House leadership, McHenry played an integral role in negotiating a deal on raising the debt ceiling earlier this year. The debt deal angered conservative members of the House Freedom Caucus and in part spurred Rep. Gaetz to move against McCarthy’s speakership.
The announcement of McHenry’s retirement hasn’t come as a surprise to colleagues. The House Republican Conference rules bar Members from serving more than three consecutive terms as Chairman or Ranking Member of a committee or subcommittee. McHenry would have been term-limited out of his Financial Services Committee chairmanship at the start of the next Congress.