An uptick in retirements is common for the minority party after a shift in power. More than a dozen House Democrats left Congress after the 2010 tea party wave. Some of this is self imposed because the GOP set term limits on committee chairs ;(three consecutive terms),
unlike the Dems who have the same old stale leadership year after year ;now being challenged by the so called "Core " . Members who won't be able to retain their chairmanship would rather move on than become back benchers .
Will Hurd's announcement is more troubling because his district is a toss up(
Hurd won by less than 1000 votes )
;and because he was the sole African American Republican rep.