Rumors that a House Republican may soon resign have Democrats salivating over the prospect of the GOP having just a one-seat majority.
While Florida Rep. Neal Dunn is scheduled to retire at year’s end, rumors have emerged that he intends to step down early.
Dunn “is considering not serving out the remainder of his term in the House of Representatives before his planned retirement at the end of 2026,” Fox News reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.
His spokesperson has denied the rumor:
New from the office of @DrNealDunnFL2: Spokesperson Eleanor Allison tells news media the congressman has no intention to resign early and will serve the rest of his current term, which ends in Jan. 2027.
Dunn, 72, previously had announced he would not seek another term. pic.twitter.com/C6pMi8sbQC— Jim Rosica (@JimRosicaFL) February 10, 2026
Were he to nevertheless step down, the House’s margin would slip to 217 (GOP) vs 214 (Democrats), thus giving Republicans a measly one-seat margin of error. This fact has Democrats salivating in excitement.
“Look, yeah, the less of a majority they have, the better it is for us to actually get real stuff done that benefits the country,” leftist Rep. Pramila Jayapal reportedly alleged on Wednesday.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro added that the loss of Dunn would force Republicans to give greater consideration to her Democrat colleagues’ demands to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“This place runs on numbers,” she said. “I think what I’ll do is take the circumstance and, for me, we need to be bold, transformational but do what is attainable.”
Fox News notes that Democrats have in recent days “made a list of 10 demands for ICE reform that, among other items, include a ban on masks, an end to racial profiling, stiffer warrant requirements, and an end to paramilitary policing practices.”
Dunn’s usefulness to the Republican Party can’t easily be overstated.
“In the current session of Congress, Dunn supported the election of Johnson as Speaker, President Donald Trump’s tax and spending overhaul known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, and to defund National Public Radio, PBS, and the U.S. Agency for International Development,” according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
He was just as pro-Trump during President Donald Trump’s first term in office:
I will not allow the people of FL, suffering after Hurricane Michael, to be used as political pawns against @POTUS. I will continue to fight for my constituents & work on emergency funding. I will not rest until we pass a bill that provides aid to those who are in desperate need. pic.twitter.com/E98JZgjpEp
— Dr. Neal Dunn (@DrNealDunnFL2) January 16, 2019
In addition, the Heritage Foundation has given Dunn a lifetime voting score of 78 percent.
If Dunn did step down, there’d be a special election in Florida to determine who’d temporarily replace him until an official election for his seat is held in November.
“There are currently four Republicans and three Democrats in the [official] race to succeed him,” the Tallahassee Democrat notes. “The Cook Political Report rates the district as leaning toward the GOP by 8 points.”
The latest candidate to enter the official November race for Dunn’s seat is Purple Heart veteran and amputee Luke Murphy, a retired Army Sergeant.
“Career politicians in Washington don’t know anything about sacrifice,” he said in a statement to Florida Politics. “I did two tours in Iraq and both times I came home without some of my friends. Those patriots believed in the idea of America, and they did not lay down their lives so weak politicians could bankrupt our grandkids’ future, ship our jobs overseas, and allow tens of millions of people to invade our country.”
“President Trump understands this and he has those career politicians on the ropes. Change is underway. America is shining brighter than ever before and our best days are ahead,” he added.
Purple Heart veteran Luke Murphy joins fight to succeed @DrNealDunnFL2
Reporting by @JacobOgles#FlaPolhttps://t.co/UjsfWII3Mf
— Florida Politics (@Fla_Pol) February 12, 2026
Murphy also shared the story of how he lost his leg.
“In April 2006, while leading a nine-man infantry reconnaissance team in Baghdad, Iraq, my life changed forever. Our Humvee hit an Iranian-made IED which immediately severed my right leg from my body and severely damaged my left leg,” he said. “Forty-one surgeries and a second chance at life later I am still here by the grace of God.”
“I always knew I wanted to serve. It’s what led me to kicking down doors and chasing bad guys in one of the most dangerous places on earth in the first place. Some people think I lost my leg for this country. The truth is I didn’t lose it — I know exactly where it went. I gave my leg for this country because America was, is and will always be worth sacrificing for,” he added.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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