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Dave Camp Retirement Pushes House Past Average Number of Retirements

Camp will not seek re-election. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
Camp will not seek re-election. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Dave Camp announced Monday he will not seek a 13th term, becoming the second Michigan Republican in the past week to announce his retirement.  

“Today, I am announcing that I will not seek re-election to the United States House of Representatives,” Camp said in a statement. “This decision was reached after much consideration and discussion with my family.”  

Camp, the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, is the fourth member of the Michigan congressional delegation to retire this cycle. His announcement follows GOP Rep. Mike Rogers’ retirement decision last week .  

First elected to the House in 1990, Camp is an ally of Speaker John A. Boehner. Camp, who is hitting the six-year term limit at the helm of his committee, had recently introduced an ambitious tax reform plan years in the making that is almost certainly doomed to go nowhere this year with both parties focused on the midterm elections.  

Tax watchers instead have their eye on reviving an expired package of tax cuts — with Camp hoping to find success with an incremental approach at reform.  

Camp’s 4th District, located in central Michigan, voted for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney by 8 points in 2012 and for President Barack Obama by a 1-point margin in 2008.  

National Republicans said the first name surfacing among would-be successors was state Sen. John Moolenaar. Democrats named former state Reps. Dale and Joel Sheltrown, who are brothers, as possible contenders for the seat.  

To see the full list of retirements this cycle, check out Roll Call’s Casualty List .  

Camp is the 13th Republican member of the House to retire this year, bringing the total number of retirements to 23 lawmakers. From 1976 to 2012, the average and median number of retirements was 22.  

   


Related story: David Hawkings examines Michigan’s depleted clout on Capitol Hill in the wake of so many retirements. Read that here
   

Abby Livingston and Steven T. Dennis contributed to this report.

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