Michael C. Burgess

Michael Clifton Burgess (born December 23, 1950) is an American physician and politician who represented Texas's 26th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 2003 to 2025. The district is anchored in Denton County, a suburban county north of Dallas and Fort Worth. He is a member of the Republican Party. Before his election, he practiced as a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology. In 2002, Burgess defeated Scott Armey, the son of House Majority Leader and then-U.S. Representative Dick Armey, in a primary runoff election. As a congressman, he was a member of the congressional Tea Party Caucus. Burgess has been involved in the debates over health care reform and energy policy. He opposes abortion, is unsure of the extent of the contribution of human activity to global warming, supported President Donald Trump's restrictions on travel from Muslim-majority countries and refugee immigration, and supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Burgess declined to seek a 12th term during the 2024 election cycle, and retired from Congress in 2025.