The House Freedom Caucus is facing an exodus of its most prominent members, placing a question mark over its future after years at the center of GOP congressional fights.
More than a half-dozen caucus members are departing Washington after making runs for higher office, meaning next year will lack some of the loudest voices who made trouble for GOP leadership over the last two Congresses. One of the biggest absences will be Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), a conservative firebrand who lost the Republican nomination for Texas attorney general.
“I think it’s going to be a massive loss,” Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL) said of Roy, who is policy chairman of the Freedom Caucus. “I mean, he is an intellectual superpower. I’m amazed at how engaged he is on so many issues.”
The caucus is also losing Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), a media-friendly member who failed to win the nomination for South Carolina governor. Roy and Norman were two of the most outspoken rebels in the 15-ballot marathon to elect Kevin McCarthy as speaker in 2023. They are similarly some of the biggest fiscal hawks in Congress and often oppose spending legislation.
Other departing members include Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), a former chairman who was the Freedom Caucus’s initial choice for speaker against McCarthy. Biggs is running to be Arizona’s next governor with President Donald Trump’s endorsement. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) also has Trump’s backing as he runs to be Florida’s next governor.
Their absence are already felt as campaign season kicks into high gear, with Fine telling the Washington Examiner they’ve less reliably attended meetings.
“They’ve been focused on their next moves, so you know they’re not coming to the meeting necessarily as much,” Fine said. “Chip Roy would be one exception to that, but many of them have been focused on their next move.”
The bigger impact will be the hole they leave next year when the Freedom Caucus searches for members who can step up to replace them. The caucus formed in 2015 seeking to grow conservative influence in the House Republican Conference. Today, the caucus is made up of a tight-knit group of members from across the country who often vote as a bloc — many times creating a headache for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and grinding the House to a legislative standstill given the small majority in the House.
“The Freedom Caucus isn’t about any one person — it’s about enduring principles,” a Freedom Caucus spokesperson said in a statement. “For over a decade, fighters like Meadows, Labrador, and DeSantis have carried the banner into new fights. Transitions like this are nothing new.”
“With battle-tested rising stars and a strong incoming class, our mission is unchanged: giving voice to millions of Americans who refuse to let our republic fall,” the spokesperson added.
It’s not clear what kind of influence the caucus will yield next year. If the House flips to Democrats, members will hold significantly less sway over Republican leadership. But caucus allies are nonetheless expressing confidence that more leaders will emerge, even as high-profile names depart Capitol Hill.
“I think there’s going to constantly be people that want to come up here and fix the fiscal problems of the country,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who hosts a weekly meeting with the caucus, told the Washington Examiner.
Sticking around will be members who have already stoked controversy or otherwise garnered media attention, among them Fine, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), and Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX), a House freshman and the youngest GOP member of Congress.
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), also a former chairman, faces a competitive reelection bid in Pennsylvania after one of the closest races in the country last cycle.
From that pool of members and several others, the caucus will also have to select a new leader, with Chairman Andy Harris (R-MD) unable to seek another term as leader. Fine said no one has expressed interest in the position thus far, but said there are a lot of “great choices.”
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“I can think of three or four people I think would be great, but I don’t know that they’re interested in it,” Fine said.
Other members of the Freedom Caucus running for higher office are Reps. Barry Moore (R-AL) and Harriet Hageman (R-WY). Moore won the GOP nomination for Senate in Tuesday’s Alabama runoff, and both are expected to be U.S. senators next year.
David Sivak contributed to this article.