Of Texas’s 38-member delegation, six have announced they will either retire or run for higher office. The most prominent is arguably Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a conservative foe of leadership who announced a campaign for Texas attorney general in August.

Other prominent retirements include Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX), who, as chairman of the House Budget Committee, helped Republicans usher President Donald Trump’s agenda through Congress.  

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), a longtime foreign policy hawk, is leaving after two decades. During his tenure, he served as the chairman of both the Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees, stepping down from both due to term limits.

On the Democratic side of the aisle, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), who has represented the Austin area since 1995, preemptively announced that he would retire earlier this year, though that decision is in doubt due to redistricting.

The retirement of Roy, in particular, means the conservative Freedom Caucus will lose one of its most influential voices on Capitol Hill. In an interview, Roy said he would bring the same rabble-rousing spirit back to Texas if he wins the election as attorney general.

“We need to go further than we’ve gone,” Roy said. “I did it when I was in Congress. I’ll do it in the executive branch.” 

But the departures will also give rise to a new set of Republicans running to replace them in the House. In many cases, that means competitive primaries, with a crowded field vying for Roy’s seat. Former MLB player Mark Teixeira, former Federal Election Commissioner Trey Trainor, and others have entered the race for Texas’s 21st District.

The race for McCaul’s seat, meanwhile, has attracted eight candidates ahead of a December filing deadline.

The retirements have not left House leaders as worried as some other states, with none of the open seats being ranked as competitive by the Cook Political Report. In fact, Roy cited the cultural conservatism that has long defined Texas in explaining his decision to leave the House.

“If Texas fails, the country fails,” Roy said. “If Texas fails, then my family, who came to Texas in the 1850s seeking freedom, then what we passed down to our kids and grandkids is not going to be the same. So for me, it was an easy call. It was hard to leave some good friends and some of the great fights up there. But we’ve got to fight for Texas, and the fight is here.”

That red reputation, however, does not mean that the House retirements won’t have profound consequences for the 2026 map. Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), among the first black Republicans to represent the state in Congress, is challenging Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) for his Senate seat next year, throwing a wrench into the plans of both Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is also mounting a challenge.

Hunt has refused to drop out despite pressure from congressional leadership backing Cornyn, raising the possibility the primary could be headed for a costly runoff next year.

Doggett is allowing Democrats to avoid a messy primary due to redistricting, announcing that he will retire instead of running against Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), the chairman of the House Progressive Caucus. However, Doggett revived his candidacy after the maps were challenged in court, allowing him to still pursue another term in Congress in his current district. 

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Some of those retiring lawmakers have not served particularly long in Congress. Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) announced his retirement from Congress after just two terms.

But it did not take long for some of the more prominent members of the delegation to make a name for themselves on Capitol Hill. Arrington has served in the House for less than a decade, while Roy arrived in 2019.