GA-14, GA-Sen-B: Georgia Rep. Tom Graves announced his retirement on Thursday, making him the 21st Republican to decline to seek re-election to the House next year. With his departure, the GOP is now breaking the record-smashing pace of retirements it set just last cycle.
Graves, just 49 years old, first came to Congress in 2010, when he won a special election to replace fellow Republican Nathan Deal, who resigned in order to pursue his ultimately successful bid for governor (and to short-circuit an ethics investigation by the House). Then a state representative, he defeated state Sen. Lee Hawkins in an all-GOP runoff by a 56-44 margin. Safely ensconced in a rural district in the state's northwest corner that's long given Republican presidential candidates more than 70% of the vote, Graves never faced anything resembling a serious challenge for the rest of his career.
While not particularly lengthy, Graves' service made him the most senior Republican in Georgia's House delegation. In a letter to constituents, Graves didn't offer much in the way of an explanation for his retirement, saying only that he was "entering a new season in life" and wanted to "join my family in their new and unique journeys."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Tia Mitchell reported that Graves' announcement triggered "speculation" that he could challenge newly appointed Sen. Kelly Loeffler, and Graves' campaign didn't answer questions about his plans. However, in his letter, Graves wrote that "the time has come for me to pass the baton," which is not typically the kind of thing someone interested in higher office says.
In terms of raw totals, the number of GOP retirements is running slightly behind where it was in early December of 2017. However, because the Republican caucus is so much smaller now than it was then, on a percentage basis, the GOP is leaving a greater proportion of its seats open. While another member of his own party will assuredly fill his seat, Graves' decision to quit once again reinforces the perception that even House Republicans feel pessimistic about their chances of winning back the speaker's gavel.