It was a cold Wednesday in January 2021. The Capitol was still reeling, windows were boarded up, and the air in D.C. felt heavy. Everyone knew the Democrats were going to vote to impeach Donald Trump for the second time. That wasn't the story. The real story was the handful of GOP members who decided to jump ship.
When the dust settled, ten names flashed on the screen. Ten Republicans. For a moment, it felt like the party might actually fracture. Fast forward to 2026, and looking back at that list is basically like looking at a casualty report from a political war zone. Honestly, if you’re a republican congressman who voted to impeach trump, the last few years haven’t exactly been a cakewalk.
Most are gone. A few are "retired." One or two are still hanging on by a thread. It’s a wild case study in how quickly a political party can transform—or purge itself, depending on how you look at it.
The Famous Ten: A Roll Call of the Vanished
You probably remember the big names. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger became the faces of the anti-Trump movement within the GOP. They didn't just vote to impeach; they joined the January 6th Committee. They went all in.
Cheney, once the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House, was absolutely crushed in her 2022 primary in Wyoming. She lost to Harriet Hageman by nearly 40 points. Think about that for a second. That's not just a loss; that's a lockout. Kinzinger saw the writing on the wall and didn't even bother running for reelection, choosing instead to start a PAC and take a job as a commentator.
But what about the others? The ones who weren't always on CNN?
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- Tom Rice (South Carolina): He was the biggest shock. A reliable conservative who voted with Trump 94% of the time. He got primaried and lost by 26 points.
- Peter Meijer (Michigan): A freshman, an Iraq veteran, and heir to a massive grocery store fortune. He lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger, John Gibbs (who then lost the general election to a Democrat).
- Jaime Herrera Beutler (Washington): Another primary loss. She was a rising star but got squeezed out by Joe Kent in a jungle primary.
- Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio): The former NFL player cited the safety of his family and the "toxic" state of politics when he announced he wouldn't seek reelection.
Why Dan Newhouse and David Valadao Survived (Sorta)
There were two outliers. Two guys who managed to keep their seats in 2022 and 2024 despite the massive target on their backs. Dan Newhouse of Washington and David Valadao of California.
How did they do it? Basically, luck and geography.
Valadao represents a heavily Latino, more moderate district in California's Central Valley. His voters care more about water rights and agriculture than the latest firestorm on Truth Social. Plus, he’s always been a bit of a survivor, winning in a district that usually goes for Democrats in presidential years.
Newhouse, on the other hand, survived a crowded primary where the pro-Trump vote was split between multiple challengers. He essentially slipped through the middle. But even that luck has a shelf life. As of early 2026, Newhouse has announced he’s wrapping it up. He’s retiring, saying he has "no reservations" about his vote but clearly recognizing that the path forward for a republican congressman who voted to impeach trump is a narrow, rocky trail that usually leads off a cliff.
The Senate Side: A Different Story?
The House wasn't the only place where the GOP broke ranks. Over in the Senate, seven Republicans voted to convict. Because Senators have six-year terms, they didn't all face the immediate wrath of the primary voters.
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- Mitt Romney: The most vocal of the bunch. He’s already announced he isn't running again.
- Richard Burr & Pat Toomey: Both retired at the end of their terms.
- Ben Sasse: Left the Senate early to become the President of the University of Florida.
- Lisa Murkowski: The ultimate survivor. She won reelection in Alaska in 2022 thanks to ranked-choice voting, proving that if you change the rules of the game, you can sometimes beat the system.
- Bill Cassidy & Susan Collins: They are still there. For now.
The Political Cost of "Principles"
Let's be real: in modern politics, "voting your conscience" is often a professional suicide mission. Whether you think these members are heroes or traitors, the data is pretty clear. The GOP base moved one way, and these ten (plus the seven Senators) moved the other.
The Republican Party of 2026 is almost unrecognizable from the one that existed in 2015. The "Impeachment 10" were effectively the last gasp of the old-guard, pre-MAGA establishment that thought they could steer the ship back to normalcy. Instead, the ship just left them behind in the harbor.
Most of these former members have moved into the private sector. Some are at think tanks, others are lobbying, and a few—like Cheney—are still trying to build a "middle ground" party or movement. But within the halls of Congress? Their influence has vanished.
What This Means for Future Impeachments
The fate of the republican congressman who voted to impeach trump serves as a massive deterrent for anyone currently in office. It’s a cautionary tale whispered in the cloakrooms. If you break from the leader of the party on a core issue of loyalty, your career has an expiration date.
It has changed the way members of Congress calculate risk. It’s no longer just about "Will this help my district?" but rather "Will this get me primaried by a guy with a red hat and a massive Twitter following?"
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How to Track Political Shifts in Your District
If you're trying to keep tabs on how your own representative is leaning or if they might face a similar fate, there are a few things you should do:
- Check the Primary Filings: Don't wait for the general election. Look at who is challenging your incumbent in the primary. That’s where the real ideological battles are won and lost now.
- Follow the Money: Look at FEC filings. Is the national party still funding them? Or is the money flowing to a "more loyal" challenger?
- Watch the Voting Records: Sites like GovTrack or Ballotpedia are goldmines. They show you exactly how often a member breaks with their party leadership.
The story of the impeachment 10 isn't just a history lesson; it's a map of where the GOP is going. If you’re looking for a moderate, "never-Trump" wing of the Republican party in 2026, you’re mostly going to find it in the "Former Members" directory.
To stay ahead of these shifts, you should set up Google Alerts for your specific district's primary candidates. Understanding the local "insurgent" candidates gives you a much better preview of the next Congress than national polling ever will.
Next Steps for You:
Check your local representative’s most recent high-profile votes on ProPublica’s Represent tool. It’ll show you if they are sticking with the party line or if they’re starting to drift—potentially putting them on the "Impeachment 10" path of the future.