Sep 4, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Rep. Bill Flores is the 5th Texas Republican to announce retirement

Rashaan Ayesh

Texas Republican Rep. Bill Flores — Rep. Bill Flores. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images

Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas) announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election in 2020, becoming the fifth Texas Republican — and the 15th Republican overall — to retire from the House this term.

The big picture: House Republicans want to regain control of the chamber from Democrats in 2020, but the continued exodus of GOP members will make the task even more challenging. Texas, which hold 38 electoral college votes, is becoming a more competitive state for Democrats across all levels of government.

House GOP Texas seats up for grabs in 2020:

Rep. Bill Flores, 17th district
Rep. Kenny Marchant, 24th district
Rep. Pete Olson, 22nd district
Rep. Will Hurd, 23rd district
Rep. Mike Conaway, 11th district

Worth noting: Inside Elections' Nathan Gonzales writes on Twitter that President Trump won Flores' district 56%-39% in 2016, writing the "College Station/Waco-area seat shouldn't be a problem for Republicans."

Go deeper: Shifting demographics could bring Texas into play for Democrats in 2020

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Rep. Bill Flores is the 5th Texas Republican to announce retirement

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