To the Editor:
A recent report (Republicans who won't be coming back to Congress after 2018 midterm elections, FOX News.com, March 5, 2018) states that 36 Republican US representatives will not seek reelection in November 2018. US Representative Ryan Costello (R, PA 6) became the 37th Representative to withdraw from the November elections just a few days ago. In a typical year, about 22 seated Republicans announce they will not seek reelection (Pew Research Center, March 1, 2018). That number could continue to rise as some states have not yet reached filing deadlines. This is the largest number of Republican members of the House to decide not to run for re-election since 1930, according to the analysis by the Pew Research Center.
There are many reason for this record number leaving Congress – health reasons, length of service, running for other offices – and perhaps the writing on the wall. One would just have to look at results in the PA 18 Special Election earlier in March (Connor Lamb, D, winner) to see that it looks like a sea change is happening. Mr. Lamb won in the state’s 18th Congressional District, a reliably Republican seat in recent elections and an area that Donald J. Trump won by nearly 20 percentage points in 2016. The victory may be an ominous sign for Republicans ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
Congressman Reed’s margin of victory in his 23rd Congressional District race in 2016 was about 14.4%. I am guessing that Congressman Reed speaks with his Republican colleagues frequently and knows all this information well. Although people usually vote with their wallets, there may be enough discontent in America (#MeToo Movement, #WomansMarch – not to mention the new #MarchforOurLives movement) to swing the November 2018 election in many red District like the 23rd. Many feel that the Republican agenda is very oppressive (look at the President’s very recent decision to ban the transgenders in the military after he spoke as a “friend of the LGBT community” in the campaign as just one example). As one of the President’s main supporters, Congressman Reed, there are many who think you should follow the lead of your fellow Republicans and retire – declare you will not seek reelection in November 2018.
Vincent Nykiel
Wayne, NY
