Bailing House members now regretful as effort to escape chaos ends careers: report

Lawmakers fleeing the chaotic House of Representatives for the greener pastures of higher office are finding the doors are shut to them by unimpressed voters, according to a report.

Nearly 30 House members have discovered that service in Congress has become a political liability rather than an asset.

Politico reported that the exodus of House members seeking promotions has resulted in a cascade of primary defeats, leaving some lawmakers wishing they had simply remained in their current positions and relied on incumbency to keep them employed.
The pattern has been unmistakable in recent weeks. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R) lost Iowa's GOP gubernatorial nomination despite a late Trump endorsement. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R) fell short in South Dakota's gubernatorial race. Rep. Chip Roy (R) lost a Texas attorney general runoff.
House Democrats have fared no better. In Illinois, Reps. Robin Kelly and Raja Krishnamoorthi both lost to the state's lieutenant governor in the Senate primary. In Texas, high-profile Rep. Jasmine Crockett was defeated by a state representative in the Democratic Senate race.
The reason, according to members themselves, is straightforward: voters blame Congress for being dysfunctional and see House members as part of the problem rather than the solution, according to Politico.
"There's definitely those out there who think, 'Well, it's broken, and they've been in it a long time, and obviously it's still broken,' so we kind of get the blame for it," said Rep. Buddy Carter, who failed to reach a runoff in Georgia's Republican Senate primary last month.
The shift marks a dramatic reversal. Congressional service was once a stepping stone to higher office — half of last year's freshmen senators previously served in the House. Now, members fear their Capitol Hill tenure has become toxic.
State-level officials and political outsiders are capitalizing on anti-Washington sentiment. "The voters all across the country aren't particularly fond of D.C., so are you perceived to be part of the establishment or someone that's been battling it?" asked Rep. David Schweikert, now running for Arizona's GOP gubernatorial nomination.
According to the report, the pattern extends to specific races. GOP Rep. John Rose trails Sen. Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee gubernatorial polling, even as he downplays his congressional service in campaign ads, identifying himself as "a father, a farmer and a CEO" while omitting any mention of his House seat.
The consequences ripple beyond individual campaigns. In South Carolina, Tuesday's GOP gubernatorial primary could end the political careers of Reps. Ralph Norman and Nancy Mace, with Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette positioned as the frontrunner after winning Trump's endorsement.
According to Politico, the mounting primary losses create additional complications for House leadership already struggling to maintain attendance. Speaker Mike Johnson has canceled multiple voting days this year to accommodate members' primary schedules, with the risk of further no-shows likely to increase as more House members pursue long-shot bids for higher office.