Louisiana Rep. Garrett Graves He announced Friday that he will not seek re-election after a recently decided redistricting battle Supreme Court.
In a statement announcing his decision, the Republican lawmaker said it “doesn’t make sense to run for Congress this year,” citing redistricting.
“It is clear that a run in any redistricting would do real, permanent damage to Louisiana’s at-large representation in Congress,” he said in a statement his office confirmed to NBC News. “Campaigning in any of these districts now is not fair to any of the Louisianans who will inevitably be thrown into another district next year.”
Graves, who was first elected to Congress in 2014 won by a large margin Re-election in 2022 in a district covering southern parts of Louisiana near Baton Rouge and New Orleans. But legal battles over redistricting have cast doubt on his 2024 prospects.
The The Supreme Court decided in May said the state could use a congressional map with a second majority-Black district. Redistricting would change the lines of existing districts, including those represented by Graves.
The decision comes after civil rights groups and Republican state officials filed emergency appeals asking the Supreme Court to block a lower court ruling that would have overturned a congressional map with two majority-Black districts, which could boost Democrats’ prospects this fall.
Graves’ announcement signals a swift turnaround. As recently as last month, the 52-year-old lawmaker insisted he would run for re-election and projected optimism that his district would remain intact.
“Look, the region where I live, the region where I was born and grew up, is an area of interest. You can’t tear it apart,” Graves told NBC News on May 7, days before the Supreme Court decision. “We will continue to represent him”
Graves, who served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Natural Resources Committee, has had a remarkable journey during his time in Congress.
Last year, he went from a little-known advocate to one of the most important players on Capitol Hill after he was tapped by then-Speaker. Kevin McCarthyR-Calif., for a tough job: building a coalition to raise the debt ceiling and prevent a global financial crisis.
After the bill was passed and signed by President Joe Biden, McCarthy’s trust in Graves paid off. That earned Graves a reputation as a pragmatist in a deal-making caucus.
But the alliance was short-lived as conservatives ousted McCarthy as speaker months later. Now, Graves has been kicked out of his district by his own party.
McCarthy praised Graves on Friday, saying in a statement sent to X that his absence “will be a great loss to the conference and the entire House.”
McCarthy added that he would never have been elected speaker without Graves.
“I will always consider myself lucky to have served with such a loyal friend,” he wrote.
A wave House lawmakers have said they will not seek re-election this year. Graves is the 25th House Republican who has announced he will not seek re-election, either because he is retiring or seeking another position. There are Democrats in equal numbers Members of the House of Representatives are not seeking re-election in November.
Julie Tsirkin contributed.