Tennessee Republican Mark Green Becomes Fifth House Committee Chair to Retire
Green has led the Homeland Security Committee since January 2023.
House Republican committee chairs are leaving the chamber en masse. Today, Representative Mark Green of Tennessee announced he will not seek a fourth term representing the state’s 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The news comes a day after the House impeached Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas - with Green as one of the leaders of the effort.
Green, 59, is the 46th retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives for the upcoming 2024 cycle - 24 Democrats and 22 Republicans. However, Green is the only representative from Tennessee to retire this year so far.
Green has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 2019. In 2022, the Tennessee state legislature gerrymandered the district lines by cracking Nashville into three congressional districts - including the 7th. As a result, Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District takes in western Nashville as well as several suburban areas - Clarksville, Franklin and Brentwood - and rural counties in middle and western portions of the state.
A veteran of the U.S. Army, Green served as a special operations flight surgeon in three tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. He left active service in 2006 with the rank of Major. He then founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of Align MD, a hospital department management staffing company. He also founded Two Rivers Medical Foundation.
In 2012, Green was elected to District 22 in the Tennessee State Senate - defeating Democratic incumbent Tim Barnes. He served in the chamber from January 2013 to November 2018. In 2017, he entered the Republican primary for Governor of Tennessee. He withdrew from the race when then-President Donald Trump nominated him to become U.S. Secretary of the Army. However, his nomination was also withdrawn after videos of him making anti-LGBT and Islamophoic comments were released.
Despite the controversy, Green quickly pivoted to the newly open contest for Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District after incumbent Marsha Blackburn successfully ran for the U.S. Senate. He ultimately won the Republican primary unopposed. In the general election, he prevailed 66.9-32.1 against Democrat Justin Kanew. In 2022, he won his now final term 60.0-38.1 against Democrat Odessa Kelly.
Since January 2023, Green has chaired the House Committee on Homeland Security. For the 118th Congress, he also serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
With this announcement, Green is now the fifth committee chair to retire from the U.S. House this cycle. He joins Chinese Competition Chair Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Appropriations Chair Kay Granger of Texas, Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, and Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry of North Carolina. The House Republican Conference bars its members from serving more than three terms leading committees. However, this Congress is only the first term Green has led the Homeland Security Committee.
No Republicans have yet announced campaigns to succeed Green in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before this news, former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry launched her bid for the Democratic nomination in the 7th District. Despite that, the district will likely remain in Republican control. The filing deadline to appear on the August 1 primary ballot is April 4.
Under the current lines, Donald Trump won Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District with a 56-41 finish against Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. That came as Trump was carrying the state 60.66-37.45 in his ultimately unsuccessful national campaign.