Republican Representative Mark Green of Tennessee said Monday that he is retiring from Congress before the end of his term.
Green said in a statement, “Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up … I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package.”
Green, 60, did not specify any additional details about his next move. Newsweek has reached out to Green’s office via email on Monday night for comment.
Why It Matters
First elected in 2019, Green’s term as the U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District was set to end on January 3, 2027. He was re-elected in the November 5, 2024, general election.
Republicans hold a narrow majority in the House with 219 seats, compared to the Democrats‘ 212 seats.
What To Know
Green, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, led the Republican effort to impeach former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who served under the Biden administration. In his statement, Green, an Army veteran, said in his statement that he had previously planned to retire during the last Congress but ultimately decided to continue serving.
“Though I planned to retire at the end of the previous Congress, I stayed to ensure that President Trump’s border security measures and priorities make it through Congress,” he said.
“By overseeing the border security portion of the reconciliation package, I have done that. After that, I will retire, and there will be a special election to replace me.”
Before entering politics, Green served as a U.S. Army flight surgeon and participated in Operation Red Dawn, the mission that captured former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. After leaving the military, he founded an emergency medicine company and later served in the Tennessee State Senate. Green is also a physician, holding an M.D. from Wright State University.
Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District has consistently supported Republican candidates in national elections. In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump secured 60 percent of the district’s vote, defeating Kamala Harris, who received 40 percent. The district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of R+10.
The district encompasses a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas, including parts of Nashville, Clarksville and Franklin. Despite the inclusion of some Democratic-leaning urban areas, Green was re-elected in 2024 with 59.5 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic challenger Megan Barry, who received 38.05 percent.
What People Are Saying
The Tennessee Holler, a progressive media outlet, posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Wow — @RepMarkGreen announces his retirement from Congress (again) ‘I was offered an opportunity in the private sector too exciting to pass up.’ — Greed Over People, always. He’ll stick around just to push the budget (that harms his voters) through.”
Green’s statement continued: “I can proudly look back at my time in Congress and the success that we have accomplished on behalf of Tennesseans and the American people. I am grateful to Speaker Johnson and House Leadership for placing their trust in me to chair the Committee on Homeland Security, lead the effort to impeach former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and to pass H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act, the strongest border security legislation in history to ever pass the House. However, my time in Congress has come to an end.”
What Happens Next
Upon Green’s eventual retirement, the U.S. House seat will be determined by a special election that will be called by Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.
Republican Rep. Michael Guest of Mississippi, the chair of the House Ethics Committee, told The Wall Street Journal’s Olivia Beavers that he is considering running for the Homeland Security Committee chair after Green’s departure.
Update: 6/9/25, 6:36 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include new information and remarks.
Update: 6/9/25, 6:44 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include new information.
Update: 6/9/25, 7:12 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include new information and remarks.
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