Loudermilk won’t seek reelection, opening fourth U.S. House seat in Georgia
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk said Wednesday he won’t seek another term in Congress, joining a growing wave of Republicans stepping down from the U.S. House ahead of the midterm elections.
The six-term Republican from Cassville said he continues to have strong support in his northwest Georgia district but believes “it is time to contribute to my community, state and nation in other ways.”
His departure marks the fourth vacancy in Georgia’s 14-member congressional delegation, all of whom are Republicans. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins both are running for U.S. Senate, while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned in January amid a feud with President Donald Trump.
Loudermilk began privately telling colleagues during House votes on Wednesday afternoon he would not seek another term. He later sent a statement to supporters announcing his decision, followed by a longer message on his official website.
“My wife and I have prayed diligently and discussed this extensively; and, while this is not an easy decision, we believe it is the right one,” he wrote. “While serving my constituents in Congress ranks among my greatest honors, being a husband, a father, and a grandfather holds even greater importance to me; and at this time, I wish to spend more dedicated time with my family.”
Loudermilk, 62, chairs a House select subcommittee tasked with evaluating the Democratic-led investigation of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Just hours before his retirement announcement, he said the subcommittee had subpoenaed T-Mobile for the cellphone records of Brian Cole Jr., the man accused of planting pipe bombs at the offices of the Republican and Democratic national parties hours before the breach.
In 2017, Loudermilk was among the lawmakers practicing at an Alexandria, Virginia, baseball field ahead of the annual congressional baseball game when a gunman opened fire. Loudermilk was uninjured.
In the months after the assault from the gunman, Loudermilk was also involved in a serious car crash and a train accident. He told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2018 that living through multiple traumatic events affected him and his family deeply.
Loudermilk joins a growing crowd of members exiting Congress. About 50 U.S. House members — most of them Republicans — have announced they wouldn’t seek reelection in 2026.
The race for his district, which stretches from Atlanta’s northern suburbs into rural northwest Georgia, is expected to be fiercely contested. Several Democrats are already vying for the seat, though the district was redrawn in 2020 to more heavily favor Republicans.
About the Authors
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
Tia Mitchell is the AJC’s Washington Bureau Chief and a co-host of the "Politically Georgia" podcast. She writes about Georgia’s congressional delegation, campaigns, elections and the impact that decisions made in D.C. have on residents of the Peach State.
