Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, Only Black GOP House Member, to Retire
By 270toWin Staff
August 1, 2019
Rep. Will Hurd, the only black GOP member in the U.S. House, announced he won't seek a 4th term in 2020. He is also the only Republican representative of a district bordering Mexico. He indicated he would pursue opportunities "to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security." Hurd becomes the 5th GOP retirement in the last eight days.
Related: Map of 2020 House Retirements
Hurd narrowly won reelection last November, defeating Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones by less than 0.5%. Hillary Clinton won this border district by about 3.5% over Donald Trump in 2016. Sabato's Crystal Ball has moved the district from toss-up to leans Democratic for 2020.
The 23rd district is the largest one in terms of land area in Texas. It covers the southwestern part of the state from just east of El Paso to the San Antonio area.