Politics

Republican Rep. Paul Cook Of California Announces He’s Retiring From Congress

Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call

Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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Republican California Rep. Paul Cook said Tuesday that he will not be seeking reelection and will instead run for his county supervisor seat.

Cook was elected to Congress in 2012 and is currently in his fourth term. He will reportedly announce his campaign to represent the 1st District of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, according to The Los Angeles Times. Cook served as Mayor of Yucca Valley and in the state legislature before being elected to Congress. He also served as an infantry officer in the Marines.

This all comes as a number of other Republican lawmakers in the House have announced they will not be seeking reelection. Cook is now the 18th House Republican Representative to announce they will not seek re-election in 2020. Cook serves on the House Committee on Armed Services and House Committee on Natural Resources.

Rep. Paul Cook leaves the House Republican Conference meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on Tuesday, May 19, 2015. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Texas Rep. Bill Flores said Wednesday he will not seek reelection next year for a sixth term in Congress, making him the fifth Texas Republican to announce retirement this election cycle.

Republican Texas Rep. Kenny Marchant announced in late August that he will not seek reelection, making him the fourth federal Republican congressman from the state to retire in the last few weeks. (RELATED: Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner To Retire, Making Him Another House Republican To Not Seek Reelection)

Marchant’s retirement came as three other Texas Republican representatives, including Will Hurd, Mike Conaway, and Pete Olson, also recently announced they will not be seeking reelection(RELATED: Rep. Bill Flores Becomes Fifth Texas Republican To Announce Retirement From Congress)

Hurd, the only black Republican in the House of Representatives, said he will not seek reelection in late August, saying he plans to “serve my country in a different way.”

Cook’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller when asked about the news.