Nearly a year after leaving the GOP out of disgust over his colleagues’ rigid fealty to President Donald Trump, Rep. Justin Amash (I-MI) announced on Thursday night that he will not be running for reelection in November.
“I love representing our community in Congress. I always will,” Amash tweeted. This is my choice, but I’m still going to miss it.”
The congressman’s announcement signals a final chapter in his dizzying political career path in the Trump era, given that he had previously toyed with a potential presidential bid as a Libertarian candidate to the point of launching an exploratory committee in late April before dropping the endeavor less than a month later.
The Cook Political Report rates Amash’s seat in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District as “Lean Republican.” There are currently six GOP candidates in the race.
Before switching to the Libertarian Party on July 4 last year, Amash had drawn national attention earlier in the year as the only Republican lawmaker to call for impeachment proceedings against Trump after Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report on his Russia investigation was released.
Trump responded to Amash’s criticism by repeatedly bashing the lawmaker via Twitter.
“A total loser!” the President tweeted after Amash announced his departure from the GOP.
