House intelligence and national security hawks suffer major losses in midterm elections

The House Republican conference is set to see a major brain drain of intelligence and defense hawks following the staggering defeat in the 2026 midterm elections.The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is set to lose three members after Tuesday’s elections, with another race still too close to call. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Scott Perry (R-PA), and Ann Wagner (R-MO) all lost, with Wagner’s race coming as a shock, considering national Democrats did not invest in the district.Fitzpatrick has been a staunch supporter of reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows for warrantless wiretapping of noncitizens overseas. The spy tool lapsed in June after Congress failed to come to an agreement to extend the program. Fitzpatrick’s loss means the intelligence community will be losing a key voice in the fight to renew the program. Two other members on the committee, who are appointed by the speaker, are also exiting the House: Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), who lost his primary in March, and Elise Stefanik (R-NY), who is retiring.Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committee’s suffered steep losses as well. On the Foreign Affairs Committee, at least seven Republicans lost their general elections, including Perry, Reps. Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), Max Miller (R-OH), James Gallagher (R-CA) and Bill Huizenga (R-MI).Members of the committee could still see further losses, with the races of Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Young Kim (R-CA), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), and Michael Baumgartner (R-WA) still outstanding.On the Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), a senior member of the committee and former Intelligence Committee chairman, and Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), Jeff Crank (R-CO), and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) were ousted.Among the HASC members’ races that have not been called are Wilson and Reps. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Brad Finstad (R-MN), and Abe Hamadeh (R-AZ). DesJarlais and Finstad trail their Democratic opponents.Discontent over the war in Iran, which remains unpopular with voters, was a factor in Republicans’ poor showing Tuesday. According to NBC News exit polling, 72% of voters said the war in Iran was a “crucial” factor in their congressional votes.Republicans are poised to lose more than 40 House seats in the 2026 elections.