In a welcome development for grassroots conservatives heading into the 2026 midterms, another relic of the Republican establishment is heading for the exits. Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington announced this week that he will not seek reelection, finally bringing an end to the political career of one of the last remaining House Republicans who voted with Democrats to impeach President Donald Trump in 2021.
For MAGA voters, the news was met less with sadness than with relief.
Newhouse was one of just ten Republicans who broke ranks to support the Democrats’ second impeachment of President Trump following January 6. That vote instantly branded him a symbol of the GOP’s failed “go along to get along” era—lawmakers more interested in appeasing media elites and Washington insiders than standing with Republican voters.
Of those ten so-called Republican impeachers, nearly all have already been swept aside by voters or retired under pressure. Liz Cheney was obliterated at the ballot box. Adam Kinzinger quit. Others quietly faded into political irrelevance. With Newhouse’s announcement, only Rep. David Valadao of California remains—and his future is far from secure.
In a carefully worded press release issued December 17, Newhouse attempted to frame his departure as a graceful conclusion to a long career of public service.
“I am announcing today that I will not seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives,” Newhouse said. “Serving the Fourth District of Washington has been the honor of my life.”
He thanked voters and colleagues “on both sides of the aisle,” language that has become familiar shorthand for politicians who pride themselves on bipartisan approval rather than conservative conviction. After more than 25 years in public office, including over a decade in Congress, Newhouse insisted he was leaving with “no reservations or remorse.”
That claim may ring hollow to Republican voters in central Washington, many of whom never forgave him for siding with Democrats during one of the most politically charged moments in modern history. His impeachment vote put him directly at odds with the base, and primary challenges dogged him ever since.
Newhouse suggested he still plans to “serve” in other ways and hinted that replacements are already lining up to take his seat. That much is undoubtedly true. With Newhouse out of the way, the Fourth District is now ripe for an unapologetic America First conservative who actually represents the values of the voters—not the sensibilities of Washington cocktail parties.
President Trump made his feelings about Newhouse crystal clear long ago. In an August 2024 Truth Social post, Trump labeled Newhouse a “weak and pathetic RINO” and reminded voters that the congressman “stupidly voted to impeach me for absolutely no reason.”
Trump also noted a larger trend that conservatives have been celebrating: the near-total extinction of the impeachment Republicans.
“The other Impeachers are mostly all gone,” Trump wrote. “A good thing for the U.S.A.”
Newhouse, for his part, says he will finish out his current term rather than resign early. But politically speaking, his era is over. His retirement marks yet another step in the Republican Party’s ongoing realignment—away from timid, establishment figures and toward fighters who actually reflect the will of GOP voters.
As the 2026 midterms approach, MAGA Republicans see Newhouse’s exit not as an ending, but as a clearing of the field. The message is unmistakable: betray the base, and eventually, the base will show you the door.
