Republican Granger Had Highest 2020 Staff Turnover As GOPers Take Six of Top 10 Slots
Texas Republican Rep. Kay Granger had the highest staff turnover rate in the House of Representatives in 2020 even as GOPers took six of the top 10 spots in the rankings compiled by Legistorm.
Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas)
Granger has gone through five chiefs of staff in two years, but her turnover in other positions was sufficiently high that she topped Legistorm’s index with a 1.62 mark. Second and third places were taken, respectively, by Rep. Kwesi Mfume (D-MD) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA). Mfume’s mark of 0.96 compared to Porter’s of 0.82.
The fourth and fifth slots were held by two Republicans, Trey Hollingsworth of Indiana at 0.79 and Jim Hagedorn of Minnesota with a 0.76.
Rep. Kwesi Mfume (D-MD)
Sixth was Rep. Jim Baird (R-IN) at 0.68, followed in seventh by Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) at 0.66. Eighth was Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) at 0.65, while the ninth spot went to Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) at 0.60 and tenth to Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) at 0.58.
The overall average for Congress is 0.24.
“Democrats make up six of the 10 current representatives with the highest historical turnover rates, although a Democrat-turned-Republican — Jeff Van Drew (NJ) — now holds the top slot,” Legistorm’s Ketura Hetrick reported.
Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA)
“Van Drew is followed by Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Jahana Hayes (D-CN), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA),” Hetrick said.
The LegiStorm staff turnover index is a salary-weighted measure, with a result that the loss of a chief of staff, which is quite often the highest-paid position on a personal staff, will boost the member’s rating more than the departure of a lower-paid person in a slot such as legislative assistant. Only full-time employees are considered, interns and part-timers are excluded.