Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, announced Thursday he will retire at the end of his term.
“It has been an honor to serve the great people of the Third Congressional District and State of Missouri these past several years. However, after a lot of thoughtful discussion with my family, I have decided to not file for re-election and retire at the end of my term in December,” Luetkemeyer, 71, said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
“As we tackle the many challenges we face, I hope we remember what someone once said, that ‘the greatness of our country is not found in the halls of Congress but in the hearts and homes of our people,’” Luetkemeyer said. “That assessment is still true today. As we look into the future, I believe if we work hard, stay together, and believe in ourselves our best days are indeed still ahead.”
Luetkemeyer, who joined Congress in 2009, was seen as a top contender to replace retiring House Financial Services Committee Chair Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), who is also retiring at the end of the term. Luetkemeyer is the chair of the Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions.
Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), the vice chair of the committee, is seen as another strong contender to be its next chair if Republicans keep the House GOP majority.
Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District that Luetkemeyer is vacating, which includes areas to the north, south, and west of St. Louis, is a solidly Republican district.