Longtime NC GOP congressman drops bid for reelection

North Carolina GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry will not be running for reelection, he said Tuesday.

McHenry, who recently served as the speaker pro tempore of the House of Representatives after Kevin McCarthy was ousted, is serving his 10th term representing North Carolina's 10th congressional district. While the 10th district has previously included Gaston County in past congressional maps, in the upcoming election, the 10th district will consist of Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Yadkin and half of Forsyth counties, and Gaston County will fall in the 14th district, which also includes Burke, Rutherford, part of Polk, Cleveland and part of Mecklenburg counties.

McHenry is a Gaston County native and a graduate of Ashbrook High School and Belmont Abbey College.

McHenry announced he was running for reelection in late October with a brief statement.

McHenry: 'Season has come to an end'

In a second statement issued Tuesday afternoon, McHenry said that he instead plans to retire from Congress at the end of his term.

"This is not a decision I come to lightly, but I believe there is a season for everything and — for me —this season has come to an end," McHenry wrote.

"Thank you to my bosses at home in western North Carolina for giving me the opportunity to serve you. I strived each day in this job to not let you down. Being entrusted as your voice in Washington is my highest honor and that remains true today. My goal has always been to be a voice for western North Carolina to Washington, not the other way around.“I’m thankful for my staff — in DC and at home in NC — who have so ably served me during my time in the House. It has been an honor to work alongside you over the past two decades. They are gifted folks who have dedicated their careers to serving the people of western North Carolina and our nation," McHenry went on.

"There has been a great deal of handwringing and ink spilled about the future of this institution because some — like me — have decided to leave. Those concerns are exaggerated. I’ve seen a lot of change over twenty years. I truly feel this institution is on the verge of the next great turn. Whether it's 1974, 1994, or 2010, we’ve seen the House evolve over time. Evolutions are often lumpy and disjointed, but at each stage, new leaders emerge. There are many smart and capable members who remain, and others are on their way. I’m confident the House is in good hands."

McHenry, according to his website, has served on the House Financial Services Committee since he was elected to U.S. Congress in 2004, at the age of 29. He was selected in 2015 by then House majority whip Steve Scalise to be the chief deputy whip, helping to build consensus for the conservative policy agenda of the House Republican Conference.

He has since served as vice chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and was most recently elected as the chairman.

McHenry 'so well thought of'

Dee Stewart, McHenry's senior political adviser and his first chief of staff on Capitol Hill, said in an interview Tuesday with the Gazette that McHenry retires leaving a legacy of leadership.

"I think it's remarkable that Congressman McHenry, a native of Gaston County, achieved both the positions of chief deputy majority whip and speaker pro tempore of the US House of Representatives within a span of a few short years of one another," Stewart said. "Those two positions are at the very top of leadership in the house, and it's remarkable that one person was thought so well of by his colleagues to have had the honor of serving in both of those roles."

He said that he believes McHenry's decision to retire now was deeply considered.

"He probably had some more time to consider what the right decision would be and just arrived at this decision as being right for his family, and being right for western North Carolina and being right for the institution of the US House," Stewart said. "I think it was just a function of probably just contemplation and prayer and just deciding what was best, and I think that the conclusion that he came to, he came to very deliberately with a lot of thought."

Hickory resident announces intent to file

In the wake of McHenry's announcement, Hickory resident Pat Harrigan, a Republican combat veteran, announced that he would run for election in the 10th district.

"God's calling, my family and the desire to secure a prosperous future of our children have always guided my journey," Harrigan said in a statement announcing his candidacy. "In Congress, I will have a laser focus on protecting our country, unleashing our economy and restoring governmental integrity. It's long overdue that we the people are placed at the forefront of public service."

Filing for the 2024 elections in North Carolina began Monday and continues through Dec. 15.

Harrigan graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a degree in nuclear engineering and served two combat tours in Afghanistan. Harrigan said in his statement that he hired McHenry's former campaign manager, Eduardo Andrade, to manage his campaign.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Patrick McHenry of North Carolina won't run for reelection to Congress