Drew Ferguson to Retire, Latest Jim Jordan Opponent to Head for Exit

Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-GA) will not seek a fifth term in the House, joining Reps. Kay Granger (R-TX) and Ken Buck (R-CO) as he becomes the latest retiree among the 25 insurgents who voted against Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) for Speaker in October.

In a Thursday announcement, the last scheduled voting day for 2023, Ferguson said he and his wife “look forward to spending more time with our children and grandchildren” while touting his home state of Georgia as “the best state in America to live and do business.”

Ferguson served as Chief Deputy Whip to Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), a post seen as a stepping stone to the higher ranks of Republican leadership. However, Ferguson, long seen as close to Scalise, had increasingly ingratiated himself to Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), becoming one of the former Speaker’s top allies in the House.

Thursday was likely the final voting day of McCarthy’s tenure, as he is set to resign his seat in December. The former Speaker held a photo opp Thursday morning for staff and members.

McCarthy has not announced his next plans but is unlikely to disappear from the political scene. “I will continue to recruit our country’s best and brightest to run for elected office,” he said in an op-ed announcing his retirement. “The Republican Party is expanding every day, and I am committed to lending my experience to support the next generation of leaders.”

The former Speaker’s war chest is flush with cash, and he reportedly desires retribution for the eight Republicans who joined Democrats to expel him from the Speaker’s chair in October after only nine months.

HISTORIC: House Votes to Remove Kevin McCarthy from Speakership

U.S. House of Representatives

While establishment representatives successfully blocked Jordan from claiming the gavel, the conservative block has undeniably gained influence in the House Republican Conference in recent years. The business-friendly Ferguson, who voted for Scalise on the House floor instead of Jordan — the conference’s nominee — was increasingly out of place as the conference moved to the right.

Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.