Former U.S. Rep. David Trott, a longtime Birmingham-area resident who represented Michigan's 11th Congressional District, said Monday, Aug. 24, that he has left the Republican Party.

"I have officially given up on the Republican Party!" Trott said in a text message, according to Oakland Confidential.

The break was years in the making. Trott, a tax and foreclosure attorney who splits time between Birmingham and Naples, Florida, chose not to seek reelection in 2018 amid frustration with what he saw as the party's deference to President Donald Trump.

In a May 2025 interview with Oakland Confidential, Trott said he was considering running for his old congressional seat as a Democrat, telling the outlet he was no longer a Republican because of Trump. He described his policy views as having shifted leftward, saying he favored raising taxes on the wealthy and considered himself aligned with Democrats on social issues. He called the Republican Party "a cult."

Whether Trott's announcement signals a future candidacy remains unclear. He has not announced specific plans. The Democratic primary for MI-11 already took place Aug. 4, with state Sen. Jeremy Moss of Bloomfield Township winning the nomination with endorsements from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other top state leaders, according to MLive.

The 11th District includes Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and surrounding Oakland County communities. It is open for the first time in eight years after Rep. Haley Stevens left to run for U.S. Senate.

Moss will face Republican Ethan Baker of Troy in the November general election.