Florida Powerhouse Buchanan Exits: GOP Faces Historic Exodus

Paul Riverbank, 1/28/2026Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan retires, marking a historic GOP exodus and reshaping Congress.

Buchanan, whose career was spent largely on the House Ways and Means Committee (that powerhouse for all things tax and budget), leaves with a résumé stacked with committee battles and policy negotiations. He’s held the vice chair position lately—a high perch, even if, for a time, it looked as though he might climb to committee chair. Instead, he’s been quietly influential, especially in debates over healthcare costs and the mercurial world of tax policy. Folks who follow Congress closely might recall heated hearings on prescription drug prices, with Buchanan pressing witnesses on real-world consequences for families back home.

The decision to call it a day comes as part of a much wider exodus out of Capitol Hill this cycle. Buchanan is just one among 47 House members stepping down—an unusually big batch by historical standards. The mood among these departing lawmakers varies; some are weary of the grind, others see friendlier prospects elsewhere, and a handful simply want to go home. The wave includes 26 Republicans and 21 Democrats, and, interestingly, quite a few have chalked it up less to political calculation and more to the calendar: most are well into their sixties and seventies.

Buchanan’s statement, in typical fashion, was reflective: he credits his longevity to listening—“Every achievement worth doing began with listening to my constituents and fighting for their priorities.” Perhaps that’s why, for all the sound and fury that lately defines Washington, his corner of Florida has remained reliably red—a district that handed Donald Trump a double-digit victory in 2020 and appears unlikely to flip, according to the Cook Political Report’s “solid Republican” classification.

One detail worth noting: Buchanan isn’t the only Floridian stepping away. Rep. Neal Dunn has his own reasons to leave after this term, while Byron Donalds chases the governor’s mansion. Each of their departures carries its own logic, but together, they’re reshaping Florida’s House delegation in ways that will be felt for years.

Redistricting hasn’t helped, either. Some incumbents, faced with newly drawn maps and unpredictable contests, have decided they’d rather exit than scrap out a new campaign. Then again, others see opportunity in those open seats—particularly in the Senate and gubernatorial contests that loom large this year.

In these final months, Buchanan is likely to remain engaged, especially if Republicans make another push to move big legislation through Congress using the budget process. The work never really stops, after all. And yet, as the House majority narrows and nerves fray ahead of a pivotal election, Buchanan’s departure is another tremor for GOP leadership—not catastrophic, but a reminder that Capitol Hill’s old guard is thinning out.

If you walk the halls of his district office today, you’ll see aides boxing up files—letters from constituents, photos with local business owners, mementos from policy battles that, for better or worse, shaped the modern House. Twenty years is a long stretch in politics, and the decision to step away never comes lightly. Buchanan closes out his time much as he began it: focused, steady-handed, and insistent that real change happens by tuning into those back home. The winds in Washington are always shifting, but Buchanan leaves having weathered them longer than most.

In the end, it’s not the speeches or the votes logged, but the quieter legacy—a reputation for diligence, and for not letting the business of government eclipse the business of listening. Congress keeps rolling on, but it will do so now without one of its more durable stewards from Florida at the table.

Rep. Vern Buchanan, a name familiar to Floridians and much of Washington for almost two decades, has announced he'll be ending his run in Congress. After twenty years representing Southwest Florida, Buchanan says the time has come to step aside — a decision that, while expected by some, still seems to catch others by surprise. Framed in his own words, he’s “passing the torch,” though for folks in his district, the flame’s been burning steadily since he first claimed the seat back in 2007.Buchanan, whose career was spent largely on the House Ways and Means Committee (that powerhouse for all things tax and budget), leaves with a résumé stacked with committee battles and policy negotiations. He’s held the vice chair position lately—a high perch, even if, for a time, it looked as though he might climb to committee chair. Instead, he’s been quietly influential, especially in debates over healthcare costs and the mercurial world of tax policy. Folks who follow Congress closely might recall heated hearings on prescription drug prices, with Buchanan pressing witnesses on real-world consequences for families back home.The decision to call it a day comes as part of a much wider exodus out of Capitol Hill this cycle. Buchanan is just one among 47 House members stepping down—an unusually big batch by historical standards. The mood among these departing lawmakers varies; some are weary of the grind, others see friendlier prospects elsewhere, and a handful simply want to go home. The wave includes 26 Republicans and 21 Democrats, and, interestingly, quite a few have chalked it up less to political calculation and more to the calendar: most are well into their sixties and seventies.Buchanan’s statement, in typical fashion, was reflective: he credits his longevity to listening—“Every achievement worth doing began with listening to my constituents and fighting for their priorities.” Perhaps that’s why, for all the sound and fury that lately defines Washington, his corner of Florida has remained reliably red—a district that handed Donald Trump a double-digit victory in 2020 and appears unlikely to flip, according to the Cook Political Report’s “solid Republican” classification.One detail worth noting: Buchanan isn’t the only Floridian stepping away. Rep. Neal Dunn has his own reasons to leave after this term, while Byron Donalds chases the governor’s mansion. Each of their departures carries its own logic, but together, they’re reshaping Florida’s House delegation in ways that will be felt for years.Redistricting hasn’t helped, either. Some incumbents, faced with newly drawn maps and unpredictable contests, have decided they’d rather exit than scrap out a new campaign. Then again, others see opportunity in those open seats—particularly in the Senate and gubernatorial contests that loom large this year.In these final months, Buchanan is likely to remain engaged, especially if Republicans make another push to move big legislation through Congress using the budget process. The work never really stops, after all. And yet, as the House majority narrows and nerves fray ahead of a pivotal election, Buchanan’s departure is another tremor for GOP leadership—not catastrophic, but a reminder that Capitol Hill’s old guard is thinning out.If you walk the halls of his district office today, you’ll see aides boxing up files—letters from constituents, photos with local business owners, mementos from policy battles that, for better or worse, shaped the modern House. Twenty years is a long stretch in politics, and the decision to step away never comes lightly. Buchanan closes out his time much as he began it: focused, steady-handed, and insistent that real change happens by tuning into those back home. The winds in Washington are always shifting, but Buchanan leaves having weathered them longer than most.In the end, it’s not the speeches or the votes logged, but the quieter legacy—a reputation for diligence, and for not letting the business of government eclipse the business of listening. Congress keeps rolling on, but it will do so now without one of its more durable stewards from Florida at the table.