By Kaitlin Housler
Congressman Mark Green (R-TN-07) announced on Thursday that he has reconsidered his decision to retire from Congress and will now run for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2024 election.
“While my strong desire was to leave Congress at the end of this year, since my announcement, I have received countless calls from constituents, colleagues, and President Trump urging me to reconsider,” Green said in a statement released by his office to The Tennessee Star.
“I was reminded of the words of General MacArthur on a statue at West Point: ‘Duty, honor, country.’ I realized, once again: I had a duty to my country to fulfill,” the statement continued.
“I will be running for re-election so I can be here on Day 1 next year to help President Trump end this border crisis once and for all,” Green concluded.
Former President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday urging Tennessee U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) to run for reelection instead of retiring from Congress.
The former president said, “Mark Green has had lots of options because of his political talents, and the great job he has done as a Congressman, but given the fantastic work he’s doing as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I hope he runs for Re-Election to the U.S. House of Representatives. If he does, he has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”
Green, who serves as the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, announced his decision not to seek reelection on February 14, one day after successfully leading the House impeachment vote of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The incumbent congressman, who has served in Congress since 2018, said he was “ready to return home” after delivering on his promise to “pass legislation to secure our borders and to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable.”
However, on Monday, Green’s team confirmed that the congressman is reconsidering his retirement plans.
In addition to Trump, Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is among those calling on Green to run for reelection instead of retiring from Congress, as the senator previously told The Tennessee Star, “I am hoping Mark Green will reconsider and get back in TN7. Mark is a solid conservative, and we need him to continue his work on the border.”
Tennessee State Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield), who previously expressed an interest in launching a bid for the foreseeable open seat, has also called for Green to run for reelection, saying on Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy that there is no room in Congress for a “learning curve.”
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Rep Mark Green” by Rep Mark Green.