Ukraine's longtime supporter won’t seek reelection to Congress
Republican Congressman Michael McCaul (Photo: x.com/RepMcCaul)
Longtime supporter of Ukraine, Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, who chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has announced he will not run for re-election to Congress in 2026, according to ABC and Bloomberg.
“It's been an honor to serve for over two decades in the Congress. However, I want to continue to serve the people in this country in national security and foreign policy and do what I've done the last two decades: make America stronger and the world safer,” the 63-year-old congressman said on Sunday during ABC’s This Week.
McCaul was first elected in 2004 to represent Texas’s 10th congressional district, covering part of Austin and surrounding counties. He was last re-elected in 2024 with a margin of approximately 27 percentage points.
As a proponent of a tough foreign policy, McCaul spent six years on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, including two years as its chairman, and six years leading the Homeland Security Committee. His tenure covered the rise of ISIS, the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In November 2024, McCaul declined to seek another term as chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, opening the way for other Republicans to lead the panel, which plays a key role in shaping global policy, including on Ukraine.
In August, Texas Republicans, at the urging of President Donald Trump, redrew the state’s congressional map, shifting five seats from Democrats to the Republican Party, which already controls 25 of Texas’s 38 House seats.
Notably, in 2017, McCaul visited the Donetsk region. After the visit, he stated that Ukraine was at war with Russia and that Russian President Vladimir Putin must be stopped.
US House elections are scheduled for November 3, 2026, as part of the midterm elections during President Donald Trump’s second, non-consecutive term.
Voters will elect representatives from all 435 congressional districts across the 50 states, as well as five of six non-voting delegates from the District of Columbia and US territories.
Recently, the House approved the 2026 US defense policy bill, which includes security assistance for Ukraine.
Lawmakers are prepared to pass new sanctions against Russia, but they will not do so without President Donald Trump’s approval.
