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Rep. Kenny Marchant Is The Latest Texas Republican To Announce Retirement

This June 4, 2013, file photo shows Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, asking questions during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Associated Press
This June 4, 2013, file photo shows Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, asking questions during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Long-time North Texas Congressman Kenny Marchant is the fourth Texas Republican member of the U.S. House to announce his departure.

Coppell's Kenny Marchant is a staunch conservative with a strong voice on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. He was first elected in 2004.

In his last election, Marchant held his seat with just 50.6% of the vote. Texas political watcher Harvey Kronberg, CEO of the Quorum Report, says demographics are changing in Marchant’s district, but not his alone.

“We have a rapidly shifting suburban landscape that is no longer reliably Republican, at least if the last election was any demonstration," Kronberg said. "They can put up with being in a minority. But being put in a minority and still having to raise millions of dollars to defend your seat stops being fun."

Last week, southwest Texas Congressman Will Hurd, the only black Republican in the House, said he would step down following a squeaker of an election where he won with under 1,000 votes. Republican Congressman Mike Conaway from Midland and Pete Olson of Sugarland also announced their retirements.

Kronberg says there may be more.

“They see the writing on the wall at this time,” Kronberg said. “It’s possible the Democratic momentum may slow if somebody too far left is nominated for the presidency on the Democratic side. But based on the information we have right now, Democrats have the wind to their back and the Republicans are facing headwinds.”

As a result, Kronberg says some of these Republican seats could flip, making Texas a little more purple.  

Bill Zeeble has been a full-time reporter at KERA since 1992, covering everything from medicine to the Mavericks and education to environmental issues.