Rep Dan Newhouse who backed Trump’s impeachment in 2021 announces he won’t run again

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Dan Newhouse, a Washington Republican and one of the few GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach President Donald Trump in 2021, announced on Wednesday, December 17, that he will not seek re-election in 2026.

Newhouse said that his decision follows more than 25 years in public service, including over a decade in the US House.

His departure further narrows the number of House Republicans who supported Trump's impeachment after the January 6 Capitol attack.

If Rep David Valadao of California wins re-election, he would be the only remaining House Republican who voted to impeach Trump.

Dan Newhouse's impeachment vote and political fallout 

Newhouse was one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump in January 2021, citing the president's conduct surrounding the Capitol riot.

The group also included Reps Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Jaime Herrera-Beutler of Washington, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, John Katko of New York, Peter Meijer of Michigan, Tom Rice of South Carolina, and Fred Upton of Michigan.

All but Newhouse and Valadao have since left Congress.

In announcing his decision not to run again, Newhouse struck a reflective tone, saying, "this decision comes with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude for the tremendous opportunity to have represented my home state in Congress."

"After over 25 years of public service, including more than a decade in the House, I am grateful to the Washingtonians who put their faith in me, as well as the colleagues I have served with on both sides of the aisle," he added.

Trump repeatedly targeted Newhouse for his impeachment role, including during the 2024 election cycle.

Just days before election day, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "Newhouse has to go! He wished he didn’t do what he did, but it’s too late."

Trump endorsed Newhouse's challenger, Jerrod Sessler, calling him a "fantastic Candidate" and labelling Newhouse "a weak and pathetic RINO." 

A safe Republican seat and what comes next 

Newhouse's decision to step aside is not expected to significantly endanger Republican control of Washington's 4th Congressional District.

Trump won the district by 21 percentage points in 2024, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the seat as "Solid Republican." 

In 2024, Newhouse won re-election by six percentage points in the general election, defeating Sessler after two advanced from Washington's top-two primary system.

Under that system, the two highest vote-getters move on to the general election regardless of party affiliation. Sessler, a Navy veteran and businessman, has announced he will run again in 2026, with the primary scheduled for August. 

Sessler has said he attended Trump's speech in Washington on January 6, 2021, but did not enter the Capitol.

He has defended some of the rioters who were prosecuted and later pardoned by Trump calling them "innocent Americans" and has promoted debunked claims about the 2020 presidential elections.