Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter will step down as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, he announced Wednesday. Carter, a Georgia Republican who is challenging presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Jon Ossoff for Senate in 2026, made the announcement via a press release Wednesday as House Republicans prepared to take up the Senate-passed budget reconciliation bill. The House-passed version of the bill sought $880 billion in cuts from the Energy and Commerce Committee, the bulk of it from the Medicaid program, which gave Carter a significant role in the crafting of the House version. Carter said he was stepping down to give Georgia and his district “my undivided attention.” In his statement, Carter thanked Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and his committee colleagues “for entrusting me with this important position and affording me the opportunity to shepherd the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act through the committee process on behalf of President Trump.” “It has been the privilege of a lifetime,” he said. Carter said he’ll work with Guthrie to determine when to hand over the gavel in a way “that minimizes disruption to the important work of the committee.” Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., currently serves as vice chair of the Health Subcommittee. Other senior Republican members of that panel include Reps. Morgan Griffith of Virginia, who currently chairs the Environment Subcommittee; Gus Bilirakis of Florida, who chairs the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee; and Daniel Crenshaw of Texas. Carter in May became the first high-profile Republican to announce a challenge to Ossoff, who topped CQ Roll Call’s latest list of the most vulnerable senators of 2026. Ossoff is a top GOP target this cycle in a state that Donald Trump narrowly carried last fall. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race a Battleground. A campaign launch video as well as Carter’s campaign website tied Carter’s candidacy to his support for Trump, describing the congressman as a “MAGA Warrior.” So far, only Georgia Insurance Commissioner John King has also declared for the Republican primary. Other potential candidates include Reps. Rich McCormick and Mike Collins. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, meanwhile, has ruled out a bid. Carter, a pharmacist and former state legislator, was first elected to represent Georgia’s Savannah-area 1st District in 2014, succeeding Republican Jack Kingston. He easily won a sixth term last fall by 24 points, and Republicans will be heavily favored to keep the seat in party hands next year. Carter reportedly considered a bid against Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in 2022 but backed off after Trump endorsed former NFL player Herschel Walker. Victor Feldman contributed to this report.
