Michael McCaul

Michael McCaul
Born	Michael Thomas McCaul Sr. 14 1, 1962
Birthplace	Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, attorney
Known for	Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee (2013–2019), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (2023–2025)
Education	Trinity University (BA) St. Mary's University (JD)
Spouse(s)	Linda Mays
Children	5
Website	[[mccaul.house.gov mccaul.house.gov] Official site]

Michael Thomas McCaul Sr. (born January 14, 1962) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the U.S. Representative for Texas's 10th congressional district since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, McCaul has established himself as one of the most prominent congressional voices on national security, homeland defense, and foreign policy over the course of more than two decades in office. He chaired the House Committee on Homeland Security during the 113th, 114th, and 115th Congresses, and subsequently served as chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee during the 118th Congress. His district stretches from portions of the Austin metropolitan area to the outskirts of Houston. Before entering electoral politics, McCaul served as a federal prosecutor and held positions in the U.S. Department of Justice. On September 14, 2025, McCaul announced that he would not seek reelection in 2026, concluding a congressional tenure that spanned more than two decades.

Early Life

Michael Thomas McCaul Sr. was born on January 14, 1962, in Dallas, Texas. He was raised in the Dallas area and attended Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, graduating in 1980. The school later recognized him as a distinguished alumnus for his public service career.

McCaul grew up in a family with roots in the Dallas community. His upbringing at the Jesuit preparatory school provided him with a foundation in the Catholic intellectual tradition and a rigorous academic environment. The experience at Jesuit Dallas shaped his educational trajectory, leading him to pursue undergraduate and law degrees in Texas institutions. McCaul's connection to the school remained a point of personal pride throughout his career, and the institution reciprocated by honoring his accomplishments in public service.

McCaul's early life in Dallas placed him in one of the major urban centers of Texas during a period of significant economic and population growth in the state. The political environment of Texas during the 1970s and 1980s, which saw the Republican Party gain increasing strength in what had historically been a Democratic stronghold, provided a backdrop for McCaul's eventual entry into politics as a Republican.

Education

McCaul attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He subsequently enrolled at St. Mary's University School of Law, also in San Antonio, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree. Both institutions are private universities located in San Antonio, and McCaul's legal education at St. Mary's prepared him for a career in federal law enforcement and prosecution that preceded his time in Congress.

Career

Early Legal and Prosecutorial Career

Before entering Congress, McCaul worked as an attorney and federal prosecutor. He served in the United States Department of Justice, where he gained experience in federal law enforcement. This background in prosecution and national security issues became a defining element of his congressional career, informing his focus on homeland security and counterterrorism policy.

Election to Congress

McCaul was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2004, representing Texas's 10th congressional district. He succeeded Lloyd Doggett, who had been redistricted into a different district as part of the controversial 2003 Texas redistricting. The 10th district encompasses territory stretching from the Austin area to the Houston metropolitan region, covering suburban and exurban communities in central Texas.

McCaul took office on January 3, 2005, and has been reelected in every subsequent general election cycle. His electoral history in the district has been characterized by comfortable margins of victory in a district that has leaned Republican. Texas election records document his successive victories across multiple election cycles.

Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee

McCaul's most prominent early leadership role in Congress came when he was selected to chair the House Committee on Homeland Security beginning with the 113th Congress in January 2013. He succeeded Peter King of New York as chair and held the position through the end of the 115th Congress in January 2019, a six-year tenure that covered three consecutive congressional sessions.

During his chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee, McCaul focused on cybersecurity legislation, border security, and counterterrorism policy. One notable legislative effort during this period was the National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act (H.R. 3696), introduced during the 113th Congress. The bill addressed cybersecurity protections for critical infrastructure and was passed by the House Homeland Security Committee. The Congressional Budget Office provided a cost estimate for the legislation as part of the legislative process.

McCaul used his position as Homeland Security chair to advocate for increased attention to cybersecurity threats facing the United States, including threats to critical infrastructure from state-sponsored hackers and criminal organizations. He also addressed issues related to border security along the U.S.-Mexico border, a topic of particular relevance to his Texas constituency.

When Republicans lost the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections, McCaul's chairmanship ended and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi assumed the chair of the committee. McCaul subsequently transitioned to a leadership role on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee

From January 2019 through January 2023, McCaul served as the ranking Republican member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In this role, he served as the senior Republican on the committee while Eliot Engel and later Gregory Meeks served as Democratic chairs during the period of Democratic majority in the House.

During this period, McCaul engaged in foreign policy debates including discussions about the United States' role in the conflict in Yemen. In 2019, the House voted on a resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, a measure that McCaul and other Republicans opposed.

McCaul also participated in the International Conservation Caucus during this period, reflecting his engagement with a broader range of international issues beyond traditional security matters.

Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee

When Republicans regained the House majority following the 2022 midterm elections, McCaul assumed the chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at the start of the 118th Congress in January 2023. He succeeded Gregory Meeks as chair.

As Foreign Affairs chair, McCaul focused on U.S. policy regarding the AUKUS security partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. In March 2023, he supported bipartisan legislation to strengthen the AUKUS framework, viewing the trilateral partnership as an important element of U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific region.

McCaul's chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs Committee coincided with a period of heightened global tensions, including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War. McCaul emerged as a vocal advocate for continued U.S. support for Ukraine and worked to build bipartisan consensus on aid packages and diplomatic strategies related to the conflict. His tenure as chair ended in January 2025 when Brian Mast succeeded him, though McCaul retained the title of chairman emeritus of the committee.

Post-Chairmanship Activities and Retirement Announcement

After leaving the chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs Committee, McCaul continued active engagement on foreign policy matters as chairman emeritus. In February 2026, McCaul introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing Russian oil revenue, targeting a key source of funding for Russia's war effort in Ukraine. The legislation reflected McCaul's continued focus on using economic pressure as a tool of foreign policy.

Also in February 2026, McCaul participated in an Atlantic Council event focused on Russian propaganda related to the Ukraine war, appearing alongside Representative Mike Quigley of Illinois in a bipartisan presentation on the subject.

McCaul led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Mexico in February 2026 in his capacity as chairman of the Mexico-United States Interparliamentary Group, demonstrating continued focus on bilateral relations with the United States' southern neighbor.

In February 2026, McCaul appeared on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on CBS News, discussing current policy issues as a senior Republican member of Congress.

McCaul also weighed in on domestic issues, calling for investigation into officer-involved shootings in Minneapolis and urging de-escalation from both political parties.

On September 14, 2025, McCaul announced that he would not seek another term in Congress, ending a career in the House of Representatives that began in 2005. In his official statement, McCaul, who held the titles of chairman emeritus of both the House Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees, signaled his intention to serve out the remainder of his term. The announcement triggered a competitive Republican primary race for his seat, with reports indicating that a former attorney for Elon Musk emerged as a frontrunner in the GOP primary.

Personal Life

McCaul is married to Linda Mays, the daughter of Lowry Mays, the founder of Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia). The couple has five children.

McCaul's connection to the Mays family placed him among the wealthiest members of Congress. Roll Call included McCaul on its list of the 50 richest members of Congress during the 112th Congress, reflecting financial holdings connected to the Mays family's media empire.

McCaul's financial disclosures and campaign finance records are publicly available through the Federal Election Commission.

Recognition

McCaul's career in public service has been recognized by several institutions. His alma mater, Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas, named him a distinguished alumnus, citing his contributions to public service and his career representing Texas in Congress.

As a member of Congress for more than two decades, McCaul held leadership positions on two of the most significant committees in the House of Representatives. His chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee (2013–2019) and the Foreign Affairs Committee (2023–2025) placed him at the center of congressional deliberations on some of the most consequential national security and foreign policy issues facing the United States.

McCaul's work on cybersecurity legislation, including the National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, represented an early congressional effort to address the growing threat of cyberattacks on American infrastructure. His advocacy for the AUKUS partnership and for sustained support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia marked his tenure on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Upon his announcement that he would not seek reelection, McCaul retained the honorary titles of chairman emeritus of both the Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Committees, reflecting the institutional recognition of his lengthy service on both panels.

Legacy

McCaul's congressional career, spanning from 2005 through the conclusion of his final term, encompasses a period of significant transformation in American national security policy. He entered Congress in the years following the September 11 attacks, when the Department of Homeland Security and its congressional oversight apparatus were still relatively new institutions. His six years leading the House Homeland Security Committee positioned him as a central figure in shaping legislative responses to evolving threats including cybersecurity vulnerabilities, border security challenges, and domestic terrorism.

His subsequent transition to the Foreign Affairs Committee reflected a broadening of his portfolio from domestic security to international affairs. McCaul's chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs Committee during the 118th Congress coincided with a period in which the United States faced simultaneous foreign policy challenges, including the ongoing war in Ukraine and competition with China in the Indo-Pacific.

McCaul's approach in Congress was frequently characterized by efforts to build bipartisan coalitions, as evidenced by his collaborations with Democratic colleagues on legislation targeting Russian oil revenue and his joint appearances with Democratic representatives on matters related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. His leadership of bipartisan congressional delegations to Mexico further illustrated this approach to cross-party cooperation on foreign policy matters.

The competitive primary race that emerged following McCaul's retirement announcement underscored the political significance of Texas's 10th congressional district and the challenge of succeeding a long-serving incumbent who had built significant institutional influence over two decades in office.