Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) on Tuesday became the fourth Republican who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump for inciting the U.S. Capitol attack to announce his retirement, another political casualty of breaking with Republicans’ de facto leader.
“Even the best stories have a last chapter,” Upton said during a tearful speech on the House floor. “This is it for me.”
The Michigan Republican has been in office for 36 years, making him one of the House’s longest-serving members. This year, Upton was drawn into a new congressional district with another GOP incumbent, Rep. Bill Huizenga, who is backed by Trump — sharply increasing his chances of losing a GOP primary. Trump said this month that Huizenga has his “complete and total endorsement” in Michigan’s new 4th Congressional District.
Upton was one of 10 House Republicans who voted with Democrats in 2021 to impeach Trump for instigating the Capitol riot, and he joins three of them — Reps. Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio), John Katko (N.Y.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) — in now deciding to retire. Each of these Republicans faced either primary challengers or redrawn districts that were less favorable to their reelection prospects.
“The Congress must hold President Trump to account and send a clear message that our country cannot and will not tolerate any effort by any President to impede the peaceful transfer of power from one President to the next. Thus, I will vote to impeach,” Upton said in a January 2021 statement discussing his vote.
Upton was first elected in 1986 and is a member of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus.
Following his impeachment vote, Upton received death threats and faced censure from local GOP groups in his southwest Michigan district.
But Upton left it open as to whether he would run again. In a recent TV ad, he touted his record on “common-sense conservative policies” and went on to say, “If you want a rubber stamp as your congressman, I’m the wrong guy.”
In his floor speech Tuesday, the former chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee highlighted his work passing the 21st Century Cures Act, a law that accelerates medical product development, and passing the auto industry rescue package during the Great Recession.
Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) said her colleague was able to get things done in Congress because he reached across the aisle.
“To him, bipartisan and compromise are not forbidden words,” she said.
Upton held back tears as he reflected on his constituents.
“These folks are the salt of the earth and I love them all — even the few that don’t love me,” he said.