Jan 3, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Tennessee GOP Rep. Phil Roe to retire in 2020

Fadel Allassan

Phil Roe shakes Donald Trump's hand at a podium. — President Trump shakes hands with Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) during the signing ceremony for the Veterans Affairs Mission Act. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) announced Friday he won't seek re-election in 2020, per WCYB.

The big picture: Roe, the ranking member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, is the 25th Republican to announce he will not run for re-election this cycle.

Roe told the Johnson City Press last month that he would base the decision to run for a seventh term on "personal" reasons and not political factors like President Trump's impeachment.

Of note: President Trump won Roe's district in 2016 by a nearly 57-point margin.

Roe's congressional seat has been held by a Republican since 1881.

What he's saying:

“The challenges we are facing now as complex as ever, and I still have a lot of fire in my belly. I look forward to finishing my term strongly for the East Tennesseans that I love representing and working with President Trump in favor of the free-market, conservative policies so many of us hold dear. I am equally confident East Tennessee is full of capable public servants who will step up to fill my void, and I am ready to give them the opportunity to do so."

Go deeper: The members of Congress departing in 2020

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Tennessee GOP Rep. Phil Roe to retire in 2020

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