The Morning Digest is compiled by David Nir, Jeff Singer, and Stephen Wolf, with additional contributions from the Daily Kos Elections team.
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Leading Off
● NC-10: One of the most prominent Republicans in the House jolted the political world when he announced his retirement on Tuesday, but there had already been signs that North Carolina Rep. Patrick McHenry was ready to move on after a long career in Congress that began when he was just 29 years old.
Jeff Singer highlights those tea leaves as he takes stock of McHenry's political life, dating back to his decision to transfer to a new college in a different congressional district where a septuagenarian Republican incumbent was likely to soon call it quits. The bet paid off: McHenry, a self-styled "hellraiser," won the GOP nomination when the seat came open by just 85 votes and never faced a tough election again.
But as the years went by, McHenry softened his old image even as more and more members of the Republican caucus increasingly embraced it for themselves. That transformation brought matters to a head recently when McHenry served as temporary speaker following Kevin McCarthy's ouster—but made it extremely clear that he did not want the post permanently.
Read all about McHenry's career—including the time he cosplayed as Abe Lincoln to protest Bill Clinton—and get the scoop on the race to succeed him in Singer's new rundown.
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