Virginia Rep. Garrett announces he is an alcoholic and won't seek re-election

Rep. Tom Garrett.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Rep. Thomas Garrett (R-Va.), a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said on Monday he is an alcoholic, and in order to focus on his recovery, he will not run for re-election.

Garrett, 46, is a former state senator and Army veteran, and he won in 2016 by 16 percentage points. Last week, Politico interviewed former staffers who said Garrett and his wife, Flanna, ordered them to do personal errands for the couple, like walk their dog and bring in their groceries, which is against House ethics rules. After his chief of staff resigned last week, Garrett, now serving his first term, said he was definitely going to run again in November.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.