Gone and Gone
Friday, March 21, 2008

With Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds (N.Y.), below, announcing his retirement yesterday, all but two of the Republican leaders who controlled the House before Democrats seized power in the 2006 elections are gone or on their way out. A look at the team, now mostly on the sidelines.

Gone

Rep. J. Dennis Hastert (Ill.)

Hastert, who announced his retirement last August after 11 terms and left in November, served as House speaker from 1999 until Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) succeeded him in 2007 -- making him the longest-serving Republican speaker. Earlier this month, Republican Jim Oberweis lost to Democrat Bill Foster in the special election to fill Hastert's suburban Chicago seat.

Rep. Tom DeLay (Tex.)

The majority leader from 2003 until 2005, since indicted on criminal charges related to campaign finance violations, announced he was withdrawing from a reelection campaign in April 2006 and formally resigned on June 9, 2006.

Going

Rep. Deborah Pryce (Ohio)

Pryce was elected chairwoman of the Republican Conference in 2002. She announced in August 2007 that she will not seek a ninth term.

Rep. Thomas M . Reynolds ( N.Y .)

As chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 108th Congress, Reynolds helped oversee GOP House campaigns at a time when the party lost 30 seats.

Rep. John T . Doolittle (Calif.)

Elected Republican Conference secretary, the sixth-ranking GOP leadership position in the House, in 2003 and 2005, Doolittle announced in January that he will not be seeking a 10th term. He and his wife, Julie, are under federal investigation related, in part, to employment provided for her by lobbyists, including the disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Sticking Around?

Rep. Roy Blunt ( Mo .)

Blunt, who serves as minority whip, succeeded DeLay as majority whip in 2002. When DeLay stepped down as majority leader in September 2005, Blunt filled that role until John A. Boehner (Ohio) was elected to replace DeLay.

Rep. Jack Kingston (Ga.)

Kingston, who was vice chairman of the Republican Conference from 2003 to 2006, has not announced any plan to retire.

-- Rachel Dry

Source: Roll Call