Rep. Will Hurd
U.S. Rep. Will Hurd said Thursday he is considering a run for president in 2024.
The third-term Republican congressman from Helotes is leaving the House at the end of this term, and his retirement announcement sent shockwaves throughout national politics.
In an interview Thursday with The Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith, Hurd addressed a slew of issues, including background checks and redistricting.
“If they’re still not being addressed in a macro way, if I’m still the only person that’s still talking about these things, if I’m put in a position in order to evaluate that, then I will do what I have always done when I’ve had the opportunity to serve my country,” he said when asked if he’s considering a run for the presidency. “I will think about it.”
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During his time in Congress, Hurd has proved to be a prolific fundraiser and was able to lock down the 23rd Congressional District, a seat that regularly flipped between the two parties.
“Everybody keeps saying I’m retiring,” Hurd said. “I’m 42. I’m just getting started.”
Hurd also discussed the state of politics back home.
Despite his retirement, Hurd insisted he would have won a fourth term in a rematch against Democratic candidate Gina Ortiz Jones.
“I would have won,” he said. “This would have been a four-peat.”
Yes, and the Red Sox would have won the World Series this year, if only they had made the playoffs. I do think it’s possible Will Hurd will run for something again. Whether he could survive a Republican primary for whatever he might want to run for is another question. In the meantime, of course you would have won again in CD23, Will. We always win the races we only ever run in our heads.
Will Hurd is a smart and gifted speaker. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
I think anyone primarying Trump in 2020 knows they wont win, but are really looking to position themselves for a not so distant future where Trump is gone and completely discredited and a Texas where minority voters and moderates are a distinct majority of Texas voters.
Understand that Trump is a bully. When the bully has no power, people turn on them quick. And I suspect that theres probably a large number of outrages yet to be uncovered. Hurd, with his long background in intelligence and his seat on the intelligence committee may have intel we dont.
When (not if) Trumpism collapses it will likely take down many if his sycophants in the GOP down with him. I suspect that Hurds resignation is partly related to the impossibility of retaining credibility while serving as a GOP official l’Age du Trump. Most of it was that he knows that even he couldnt win that district in 2020.
A Hurd bid would really be about establishing his bona fides against Trumpism for a run for Texas Governor or Senate later in the 2020s.
I think running for President against Trump might actually be a strategic move on his part. I think he ultimately passes, thinking that he can rely on his retirement and somewhat critical voting record to make the case that he wasnt on the Trump train.
Once you get a skunk stink on ya, it’s hard to wash it off. Voters have an uncanny ability to remember your run in, even if it was six years ago.
But Hurd is about the only Republican in the state that is even meekly attempting to do distance himself. The problem is the GOP primary. You have to give up your seat to really cleanse yourself.
What comes next for the Texas GOP? Best case scenario in 2020 is a 52-48 win in the Presidential race in Texas, a 2 seat majority in the Texas House, and 54-48 in the Senate.
If Trump loses, most of his dirty secrets will be exposed and the party will be rudderless and riven with intraparty fighting . If Trump wins, the Dems will completely wipeout the GOP statewide in 2022.
Either way, the days of Ken Paxton or Sid Miller type conservatives winning statewide is coming to an end.
Hurd retiring was probably more of a sign that he wants a long term future in electoral politics in Texas, because in 2022 and beyond, its the right call for him.
Running for President would mean that he has decided to position himself to take on Mitt Romney for the national party in the event of a Trump meltdown. Especially if Mitt Romney votes against conviction.
I hope he runs, but I predict he wont.