Michael McCaul | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Chair of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Gregory Meeks |
| Succeeded by | Brian Mast |
| Ranking Member of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Eliot Engel |
| Succeeded by | Gregory Meeks |
| Chair of theHouse Homeland Security Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Peter King |
| Succeeded by | Bennie Thompson |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's10th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Lloyd Doggett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Thomas McCaul Sr. (1962-01-14)January 14, 1962 (age 63) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Linda Mays |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Lowry Mays (father-in-law) |
| Education | Trinity University (BA) St. Mary's University, Texas (JD) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Michael Thomas McCaul Sr. (born January 14, 1962) is an American politician, attorney, and a member of theU.S. House of Representatives forTexas's 10th congressional district since 2005. A member of theRepublican Party, he chaired theHouse Committee on Homeland Security during the113th,114th, and115th Congresses. His district includes bothAustin toHouston.
McCaul became the chair of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee in the118th Congress in 2023.
On September 14, 2025, McCaul announced he would not be seeking re-electionin 2026.[1]
Born inDallas, the son of Frances Jane (Lott) and James Addington McCaul, Jr., McCaul has English, Irish, and German ancestry.[2] He graduated fromJesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas and earned aBachelor of Arts inhistory fromSan Antonio'sTrinity University in 1984 and aJuris Doctor fromSt. Mary's University three years later. McCaul also completed a Senior Executive Fellowship atHarvard Kennedy School.[3][4]
McCaul worked as an attorney andfederal prosecutor before entering politics. He was the Chief of Counterterrorism and National Security for Texas's branch of theUS Attorney's office, and also worked under theDepartment of Justice'sPublic Integrity Section. After he left, McCaul took a position as aDeputy Attorney General in 1999 with theTexas Attorney General's Office and served in this capacity until 2002.
McCaul first ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004 and won a crowded Republican primary in the newly created 10th District. The district, which included part of Austin, the western part ofHarris County and several rural counties in between, was thought to be so heavily Republican that noDemocratic candidate even filed, effectively handing him the seat.
In 2006 he defeated Democratic nominee Ted Ankrum and formerLibertarian presidential candidateMichael Badnarik with 55% of the vote. McCaul was reelected again in 2008, against Democratic candidateLarry Joe Doherty and Libertarian candidate Matt Finkel,[5] 54% to 43%.
Four years later, he was reelected to a fourth term with 76% of the vote against Ankrum (22%) and Libertarian candidate Jeremiah "JP" Perkins (1%). McCaul won a seventh term in 2016 with 179,221 votes (57.3%) to Democratic nominee Tawana W. Cadien's 120,170 (38.4%). Libertarian Bill Kelsey received 13,209 (4.2%).[6]
In 2018, McCaul won an eighth term in the House with 157,166 votes (51.1%) to Democratic nominee Mike Siegel's 144,034 (46.8%) and Libertarian Mike Ryan's 6,627 votes (2.5%). It was the closest race of McCaul's career.[7]
He was elected to a ninth term in 2020, defeating Siegel again.[8]
On 14 September 2025, he announced he would not be seeking reelection.[9]
On December 11, 2013, McCaul introduced legislation to require theSecretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conductcybersecurity activities on behalf of the federal government and codify DHS's role in preventing and responding to cybersecurity incidents involving theinformation technology (IT) systems of federal civilian agencies and critical infrastructure in the U.S.[10][11] McCaul said the bill was "an important step toward addressing the cyber threat."[12]
On December 18, 2019, McCaul voted againstboth articles of impeachment against PresidentDonald Trump. Of the 195 Republicans who voted, all voted against both impeachment articles. He also voted against creating an independentcommission to investigate theJanuary 6 attack encouraged by Trump's false claims of electoral fraud. However, unlike Trump and most Republican legislators, McCaul did not sign theTexas v. Pennsylvania amicus brief to file a motion in support of the case.[13]
In April 2019, McCaul spoke out against a resolution that would end U.S. involvement in theYemeni Civil War, saying it would "disrupt US security cooperation agreements with more than 100 countries."[14]
In 2021, McCaul strongly supported PresidentJoe Biden's airstrikes on Iranian targets inSyria.[15]
McCaul said he supports heavily arming Ukraine with the weapons they need to win theRusso-Ukrainian War.[16] He believes the United States should send fighter jets and more missiles to Ukraine.[17] In February 2023, McCaul met thePresident of Ukraine inKyiv and advocated for the United States to send more military aid to Ukraine, especiallyATACMS.[18]
In April 2023, during a meeting with Taiwanese officials, McCaul comparedGeneral Secretary of the Chinese Communist PartyXi Jinping toAdolf Hitler.[19]
On April 23, 2023, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced sanctions over McCaul, alleging his frequent interference in China's "internal affairs."[20] In the2024 United States House of Representatives elections, McCaul was targeted by theChinese government'sSpamouflage influence operation.[21][22]
In November 2024, McCaul announced he was stepping down as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.[23]
McCaul supported PresidentDonald Trump's proposals to builda wall along theMexico–United States border.[24] He supports theRemain in Mexico policy.[25]
Around the time of the introduction ofProtecting Americans' Sensitive Data from Foreign Adversaries, the act including the TikTok ban, McCaul received attention for purchasingstock inMeta.[26][27]
McCaul is married to Linda Mays McCaul, the daughter ofClear Channel Communications founder and former chairmanLowry Mays and sister of its former CEOMark Mays. In 2011,Roll Call named McCaul as one of the wealthiest members of theUnited States Congress, surpassing thenU.S. senatorJohn Kerry. Hisnet worth was estimated at $294 million, up from $74 million the previous year.[35] In 2004, the same publication estimated his net worth at $12 million. His wealth increase was due to large monetary transfers from his wife's family.[36]
McCaul and his family live inWest Lake Hills, Texas, a wealthy suburb ofAustin, Texas.[37]
McCaul is adevout Catholic and is a noted critic ofNicaraguan PresidentDaniel Ortega due to Ortega's stance against theCatholic Church in Nicaragua.[38][39]
On November 4, 2024, McCaul was charged with being drunk in public byMetropolitan Washington Airport Authority police.[40] McCaul was briefly detained at Dulles International Airport, explaining to police he had drunk alcohol after takingAmbien. A family member arrived to drive him to his destination, and McCaul expressed gratitude for law enforcement, while emphasizing his commitment to learn from the mistake.[41]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul | 182,113 | 78.6 | +78.6 | |
| Libertarian | Robert Fritsche | 35,569 | 15.4 | −0.3 | |
| Write-In | Lorenzo Sadun | 13,961 | 6.0 | +6.0 | |
| Majority | 146,544 | 63.3 | |||
| Turnout | 231,643 | ||||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | Swing | +81.5 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (Incumbent) | 97,618 | 55.32 | −23.29 | |
| Democratic | Ted Ankrum | 71,232 | 40.37 | +40.37 | |
| Libertarian | Michael Badnarik | 7,603 | 4.31 | −11.04 | |
| Majority | 26,686 | 14.95 | |||
| Turnout | 176,453 | ||||
| Republicanhold | Swing | -48.31 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (Incumbent) | 179,493 | 53.9 | |
| Democratic | Larry Joe Doherty | 143,719 | 43.1 | |
| Libertarian | Matt Finkel | 9,871 | 2.96 | |
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (Incumbent) | 144,980 | 64.67 | |
| Democratic | Ted Ankrum | 74,086 | 33.05 | |
| Libertarian | Jeremiah "JP" Perkins | 5,105 | 2.28 | |
| Total votes | 224,171 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (Incumbent) | 159,783 | 60.52 | |
| Democratic | Tawana Walter-Cadien | 95,710 | 36.25 | |
| Libertarian | Richard Priest | 8,526 | 3.23 | |
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (Incumbent) | 109,726 | 62.2 | |
| Democratic | Tawana Walter-Cadien | 60,243 | 34.1 | |
| Libertarian | Bill Kelsey | 6,491 | 3.7 | |
| Total votes | 176,460 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (Incumbent) | 179,221 | 57.3 | |
| Democratic | Tawana W. Cadien | 120,170 | 38.5 | |
| Libertarian | Bill Kelsey | 13,209 | 4.2 | |
| Total votes | 312,600 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
Incumbent Michael McCaul faced Assistant Attorney of Austin Mike Siegel in the 2018 general election, winning by 4.3 percent of the vote. This is the closest contest McCaul has faced.[44] The outcome was notable in a district that political experts rated as "Heavily Republican."[45][46]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (Incumbent) | 157,166 | 51.1 | |
| Democratic | Mike Siegel | 144,034 | 46.8 | |
| Libertarian | Mike Ryan | 6,627 | 2.1 | |
| Total votes | 307,827 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
In the November 3, 2020 general election, incumbent Michael McCaul again defeated Austin Assistant Attorney Mike Siegel.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (Incumbent) | 217,216 | 52.5 | |
| Democratic | Mike Siegel | 187,686 | 45.3 | |
| Libertarian | Roy Eriksen | 8,992 | 2.2 | |
| Total votes | 413,894 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (incumbent) | 159,469 | 63.30 | |
| Democratic | Linda Nuno | 86,404 | 34.30 | |
| Libertarian | Bill Kelsey | 6,064 | 2.41 | |
| Total votes | 251,937 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Michael McCaul (incumbent) | 221,229 | 63.60 | |
| Democratic | Theresa Boisseau | 118,280 | 34.01 | |
| Libertarian | Jeff Miller | 8,309 | 2.39 | |
| Total votes | 347,818 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
I think going with the amount of investment we've had is very small relative to destroying the Russian military," he told CBS News in an interview Friday. "And that's what we've done without one American soldier being attacked, killed or in country. To me, that's a pretty good investment." Asked if he would favor more heavily arming the Ukrainians to bring the war to a faster conclusion, McCaul responded, "100% because the longer you drag this out, the more bloodshed."
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) on Sunday said he's hopeful the U.S. will send more missiles and move to supply fighter jets to Kyiv as Russia's war with Ukraine approaches its one-year mark.
Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul traveled to Kyiv Tuesday with a congressional delegation to see 'first-hand' what is happening on the ground in Ukraine and conduct oversight to gain better insight on the Russia-Ukraine war. 'It's good President Biden visited Ukraine, but a photo op isn't enough,' said McCaul. 'He needs to get Ukraine the weapons they need to win now, especially ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System), instead of slow-rolling them.'
McCaul cited the "remain in Mexico" policy, a program launched under the Trump administration that required non-Mexican migrants to stay in Mexico until their US immigration court date. "Don't rescind what was working," he said.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's 10th congressional district 2005–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Homeland Security Committee 2013–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee 2019–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee 2023–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 50th | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
