Updated February 6, 2026 at 2:23 PM EST
NPR is tracking the record number of congressional lawmakers who have announced they do not plan to run for reelection to their current seats in 2026. That number currently stands at 12 senators and 51 House members.
There are 32 retiring from public office with the rest running for a different office — 15 looking to become governor of their state, 15 looking to make the jump from House to Senate and one, Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy, is looking to become his state's attorney general.
Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet are not up for reelection in 2026, but would resign their seats if they win their respective gubernatorial races. Mikie Sherrill resigned her New Jersey House seat effective Nov. 20 after winning her race for governor earlier in the month. Marjorie Taylor Greene resigned her Georgia House seat Jan. 5, 2026 after a falling-out with President Trump.
There are more Republicans signaling their desire to exit Washington (36) than Democrats (27).
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On the Democratic side, several of the party's older lawmakers are passing on the torch to a new generation of elected officials, like Sens. Dick Durbin and Jeanne Shaheen and Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Dwight Evans and Danny Davis. In early January, the longest-serving House Democrat Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland announced he would retire after holding his seat since 1981.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced shortly after the November 2025 off-year elections that saw Democrats surge in races across the country that she would not seek another term.
For Republicans, the retirements so far include Sens. Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis and Joni Ernst, plus Rep. Don Bacon, all of whom have clashed at times with President Trump's vision of expanded executive power.
Greene's surprising announcement that she would resign effective Jan. 5, 2026 after a public clash with President Trump over his second term agenda and the release of the Epstein files.
The GOP has slim majorities in both the House and Senate and has taken steps in several Republican-led states to enact mid-decade gerrymandering to try to add more favorable districts for the party ahead of what is historically a challenging election cycle for the party in power.
Texas' redrawn map that aims to shrink the number of Democratic representatives by five has already caused 78-year-old Texas Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett to announce his retirement instead of a bitter primary fight against progressive Rep. Greg Casar.
California's voters approved a retaliatory redistricting measure in November's off-year election that will redraw the state's Congressional districts to more heavily favor Democrats. Several other states are considering similar measures.
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