NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Republican Representative Mark Green from Tennessee, recently announced his plan to retire from Congress following a pivotal House vote on a significant tax and budget policy supported by former President Donald Trump.
In his announcement, Green shared that he had been offered a private sector opportunity “too exciting to pass up.” He formally informed House Speaker Mike Johnson of his decision to step down. This development comes after Green previously stated he would not run for re-election in 2024; however, he later reconsidered after encouragement from fellow Republicans.
Green was supposed to run for his seat again in 2026, but his choice to retire comes as he backs Trump’s comprehensive legislation that cleared the House the previous month. The bill has now moved to the Senate and will require a return to the House for final approval if any amendments are made. Trump has expressed his desire for the bill to reach his desk for signing by July 4.
Green’s pending departure could influence the GOP’s narrow hold on the House. The Republicans need every vote possible to pass their critical tax bill, which was initially approved by a mere single vote margin and will need to pass again following Senate revisions. They currently hold a 220-212 lead in the House.
“It was the honor of a lifetime to represent the people of Tennessee in Congress,” Green stated. “They asked me to deliver on the conservative values and principles we all hold dear, and I did my level best to do so.”
A special election will be held to decide Green’s successor, with the timing contingent upon his official exit from office.
Prior to his 2024 re-election campaign, Green announced in February 2024 that he would not seek another term. The announcement came shortly after the impeachment proceedings against then-President Joe Biden’s Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Despite this, numerous Republicans encouraged him to rethink his decision, leading to his re-entry into the race two weeks later.
Without opposition in the Republican primary, Green went on to defeat Democrat Megan Barry, Nashville’s former mayor who resigned in 2018 amid controversy, by over a 21-point margin in the November 2024 election.
Green, aged 60, has represented the 7th Congressional District since 2019. The district was redrawn in 2022 to encompass a substantial part of Nashville, due to a redistricting effort that split the city into three sections to help Republicans gain a seat previously held by Democrats.
Before his tenure in Congress, Green was an Army surgeon and served in the state Senate, hailing from Montgomery County. In 2017, he considered a bid for governor but paused his campaign after being nominated by Donald Trump to be the Army secretary. However, he withdrew his nomination after his comments on Muslims and LGBTQ+ individuals stirred controversy.