Tennessee's U.S. Rep. Mark Green won't seek reelection to Congress

Congressman Mark Green

by Rod Williams, Feb. 14, 2023- It is being reported today that Congressman Mark Green will not be seeking reelection. The Tennessean does not quote Green as saying why exactly and the article does not speculate. It does quote Green as saying this:

In the last few months, in reading the writings of our Framers, I was reminded of their intent for representatives to be citizen-legislators, to serve for a season and then return home. Our country – and our Congress – is broken beyond most means of repair. I have come to realize our fight is not here within Washington, our fight is with Washington. As I have done my entire life, I will continue serving this country–but in a new capacity.

Green does not elaborate on what capacity he may continue to serve his county.  There is some speculation that he may have his eye on the Governor's office. Green is my congressman, and I am very pleased with his representation. He strikes me as a man of integrity, intellect, and a boundless love for his country. I hate to see him go. 

More and more I am disgusted that the Republican Party is the party of affinity for authoritarianism, appeasement of foreign tyrants, and the party of isolationism. I am disgusted that Republicans would prefer the issue of the border rather than accept a solution that gives them most of what they want and secures the border. Mark Green is a solution-oriented congressman. Mark Green has not been one of the members of Congress favoring pulling the plug on Ukraine. I have been proud being represented by Mark Green. 

With our own Senators Blackburn and Hagerty being among those opposing aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, I am feeling less and less loyalty to the Republican Party. With Trump destined to be our candidate for President and our Senators taking the position they have on Ukraine, and people like Andy Ogle representing the adjoining district in Congress, I have to ask myself, why, exactly am I still a Republican? No longer having Mark Green to vote for, I have one less reason to vote Republican. In the next election, I will be inclined to vote for a Democrat who is supportive of NATO and resisting Russia and Chinese aggression over a Republican isolationist who supports Trump's welcoming of a Russian conquest of our NATO allies. 

I suspect Green is on the edge of a wave of Republicans who will not seek reelection, either because they will be primaried by a more dogmatic Trumpinista or because they can't stand to kowtow to Donald Trump. I suspect more and more decent people will refuse to pretend that Donald Trump is normal.

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