Rep. Paul Cook, R-Calif., is giving up his position as a congressman and will resign at the end of his turn, the lawmaker announced Tuesday.
Once his term is complete, Cook has announced he’ll instead run for a 1st District seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.
A representative from California’s 8th Congressional District since 2012, Cook has been an ally of President Donald Trump throughout his presidency.
In his four terms in Congress, Cook has served as a member of the Veteran’s Affairs Committee, Natural Resource Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and the Foreign Affairs Committee.
For his replacement, he’s already endorsed Assemblyman Jay Obernolte in the race as his successor, Roll Call reported.
Obernolte’s campaign website notes that his current Assembly district overlaps 65 percent of Cook’s district.
“Prior to his time in Congress, Cook served in the California State Assembly, taught courses at both Copper Mountain College and University of California, Riverside, and served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps,” The Hill reported.
The president won Cook’s district by more than 15 points in the 2016 presidential election.
Trump endorsed Cook in the Republican-only ballot in 2018 against Tea Party favorite Tim Donnelly and helped secure the California’s lawmaker’s reelection. Cook won that election with 60 percent of the vote.
Paul Cook is a decorated Marine Corps Veteran who loves and supports our Military and Vets. He is Strong on Crime, the Border, and supported Tax Cuts for the people of California. Paul has my total and complete Endorsement!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2018
“While Cook’s seat will likely stay in GOP hands because of its conservative lean, the growing list of retiring Republicans — which now tops over a dozen, including some in key battleground states like Texas — is fueling speculation that GOP lawmakers are growing pessimistic about their chances of winning back the House,” Politico reported.
Indeed, Cook is the 17th Republican lawmaker to call it quits ahead of the 2020 election.