Republican House Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas just announced that he is retiring. After over two decades in Congress, he will not seek re-election in 2026. Rep. McCaul announced his retirement in an appearance on ABC News. Watch here: BREAKING: Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul announced on @ThisWeekABC that he will not seek reelection in 2026. “It’s been an honor to serve for over two decades in the Congress. I’m looking now for a new challenge.” Read more: https://t.co/pSP1FGfbWs pic.twitter.com/w8bNtbFn6K — ABC News (@ABC) September 14, 2025 He also released a statement on X: It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of central Texas and to chair the prestigious Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees. My father’s service in World War II inspired me to pursue a life of public service, with a focus on defending our great… https://t.co/jDdvES0UaQ — Michael McCaul (@RepMcCaul) September 14, 2025 It has been the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of central Texas and to chair the prestigious Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees. My father’s service in World War II inspired me to pursue a life of public service, with a focus on defending our great nation against global threats, and I have been proud to carry out that mission in Congress for more than two decades. I am ready for a new challenge in 2027 and look forward to continuing to serve my country in the national security and foreign policy realm. Rep. McCaul is one of the old-timers in Congress and a staunch supporter of Ukraine. Axios noted: Why it matters: McCaul, a former chair of the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committee, is one of a dwindling breed of establishment Republicans who staunchly support Ukraine. His announcement comes as a growing wave of House members are leaving the chamber, either to seek other office or to retire from politics altogether. McCaul had previously been floated as a U.S. Senate candidate, but he did not announce plans to seek another office on Sunday. Rep. McCaul will not be leaving immediately. He plans to serve out the rest of his term. The announcement of his retirement marks the latest GOP Congressman who will be leaving in 2026. Over a dozen Republicans have already said that they will not be seeking re-election. In Rep. McCaul’s case, his district in Texas is pretty much guaranteed to elect another Republican to fill his seat — especially with the new Congressional maps. NBC News has more: McCaul said he plans to serve out the remainder of his term and intends to work on national security and foreign policy issues in a different capacity. “I’m looking for a new challenge in the same space, that would be national security and foreign policy, but just in a different realm,” he said. He did not go into further detail on his next steps. McCaul focused much of his congressional career on national security and foreign policy, having previously served as the chairman of both the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee. Before his career on the Hill, McCaul served in a Justice Department counterterrorism role and was previously the Texas deputy attorney general. “I want to continue to serve the people of this country in national security and foreign policy, and do what I’ve done the last two decades: Make America stronger and the world safer,” he said on ABC News.