Libertarian Rep. Justin Amash Implies That He Won’t Seek Another Term

Rep. Justin Amash, the Michigan congressman who left the GOP in 2019 and later briefly sought the Libertarian Party’s presidential nomination, has seemingly indicated that he won’t seek another term in Congress. The 40-year-old, who previously broke from conservatives with his criticism of President Donald Trump, implied that he won’t pursue re-election via Twitter on Thursday evening.

“I love representing our community in Congress. I always will. This is my choice, but I’m still going to miss it,” he wrote. “Thank you for your trust.”

Among the nearly 1,000 retweets and replies to Amash, a tweet of gratitude from the official account of the Libertarian Party, with whom Amash is now affiliate, stood out.

“It’s been an honor being represented by someone of your character in the House, Congressman. Let’s work to ensure that qualified immunity is dealt a serious blow on your way out,” the tweet read.

Earlier on Thursday, Amash had retweeted an article from The Detroit News in which Poppy Nelson, one of Amash’s top aides, was quoted with an indication that he had idled his congressional re-election campaign in February, stating that Amash “hasn’t been campaigning for any office and doesn’t plan to seek the nomination for any office.”

Amash originally assumed office as the representative of Michigan’s third congressional district in 2011, following a two-year stint in the Michigan House of Representatives. In 2016, he made headlines by joining a group of Republicans who opposed Trump as the party’s presidential nominee. He has continued to be a vocal critic of the president and was one of the few conservative legislators to support Trump’s impeachment.

In July of 2019, he eschewed his affiliation with the Republican Party in favor of becoming an independent. As a result, Amash simultaneously resigned his seat on the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Nine months later, Amash officially joined the Libertarian Party, forming an exploratory committee to seek the party’s presidential nomination in 2020. However, he ultimately decided not to run for president in May, stating he didn’t have the ability to “be successful” after making multiple media appearances, speaking with potential donors and monitoring the Libertarians’ convention plans.

Still, his Libertarian switch proved a historic move, as it officially made him the party’s first member to serve in Congress.

More recently, Amash proposed the Ending Qualified Immunity Act, which would allow civil action by victims and families against police officers and other government officials who have harmed them. As it stands, police officers and officials are shielded from legal recourse unless their actions violate established federal law, even if the civil rights of the victims have been violated.