Here’s where House and Senate retirements stand for 2026
Are they actually going to vote on something real?
Almost 11% of lawmakers are looking to make a change after the 2026 midterm elections, with several in both chambers either retiring or seeking higher office.
The House received its first departure on Jan. 5. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) announced in November that she would retire at the beginning of the year and not finish out her term, which ends in early 2027.
But by the end of 2026, 48 other House members will not be returning to their seats. Of those members, 22 are stepping away from public office, 11 are seeking a governorship, and 14 are looking to make the jump to the Senate. One lawmaker, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), is running for attorney general.
The 48 House members leaving the 119th Congress, plus the 11 senators not seeking reelection, have set a modern record for announcing their departures this far ahead of a major election for both chambers. It is also the most Senate turnover since 2012.
Prominent House Democrats and Republicans say goodbye to politics
Among the most prominent Democrats retiring is Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). She is leaving Capitol Hill after nearly 40 years in Congress, leaving behind a legacy that includes becoming the first female speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023.
Other establishments lawmakers saying goodbye include Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Chuy García (D-IL), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Danny Davis (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Dwight Evans (D-PA), who have opted to pass on the torch to a new generation.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who has represented the District of Columbia for over three decades, officially announced her retirement on Jan. 27 after months of questions from reporters whether she’d seek another term. Norton and her team were often on opposite wavelengths when answering questions about her political future, with the congresswoman offering a resounding “yes” while her staff said she was still deciding.
The retirement of household names comes as Democrats’ progressive base has been itching for new blood in Congress in the wake of significant losses in the 2024 election. Younger leaders and voters are pushing for their Democratic leaders to fight more against President Donald Trump, though legislatively, they often have their hands tied due to the GOP holding the majority in all three branches of government.
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) is leaving politics because he is tired of the atmosphere and hyper-partisanship that’s grown on …
Are they actually going to vote on something real?
Almost 11% of lawmakers are looking to make a change after the 2026 midterm elections, with several in both chambers either retiring or seeking higher office.
The House received its first departure on Jan. 5. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) announced in November that she would retire at the beginning of the year and not finish out her term, which ends in early 2027.
But by the end of 2026, 48 other House members will not be returning to their seats. Of those members, 22 are stepping away from public office, 11 are seeking a governorship, and 14 are looking to make the jump to the Senate. One lawmaker, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), is running for attorney general.
The 48 House members leaving the 119th Congress, plus the 11 senators not seeking reelection, have set a modern record for announcing their departures this far ahead of a major election for both chambers. It is also the most Senate turnover since 2012.
Prominent House Democrats and Republicans say goodbye to politics
Among the most prominent Democrats retiring is Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). She is leaving Capitol Hill after nearly 40 years in Congress, leaving behind a legacy that includes becoming the first female speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023.
Other establishments lawmakers saying goodbye include Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Chuy García (D-IL), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Danny Davis (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Dwight Evans (D-PA), who have opted to pass on the torch to a new generation.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who has represented the District of Columbia for over three decades, officially announced her retirement on Jan. 27 after months of questions from reporters whether she’d seek another term. Norton and her team were often on opposite wavelengths when answering questions about her political future, with the congresswoman offering a resounding “yes” while her staff said she was still deciding.
The retirement of household names comes as Democrats’ progressive base has been itching for new blood in Congress in the wake of significant losses in the 2024 election. Younger leaders and voters are pushing for their Democratic leaders to fight more against President Donald Trump, though legislatively, they often have their hands tied due to the GOP holding the majority in all three branches of government.
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) is leaving politics because he is tired of the atmosphere and hyper-partisanship that’s grown on …
Here’s where House and Senate retirements stand for 2026
Are they actually going to vote on something real?
Almost 11% of lawmakers are looking to make a change after the 2026 midterm elections, with several in both chambers either retiring or seeking higher office.
The House received its first departure on Jan. 5. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) announced in November that she would retire at the beginning of the year and not finish out her term, which ends in early 2027.
But by the end of 2026, 48 other House members will not be returning to their seats. Of those members, 22 are stepping away from public office, 11 are seeking a governorship, and 14 are looking to make the jump to the Senate. One lawmaker, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), is running for attorney general.
The 48 House members leaving the 119th Congress, plus the 11 senators not seeking reelection, have set a modern record for announcing their departures this far ahead of a major election for both chambers. It is also the most Senate turnover since 2012.
Prominent House Democrats and Republicans say goodbye to politics
Among the most prominent Democrats retiring is Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). She is leaving Capitol Hill after nearly 40 years in Congress, leaving behind a legacy that includes becoming the first female speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023.
Other establishments lawmakers saying goodbye include Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Chuy García (D-IL), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Danny Davis (D-IL), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Dwight Evans (D-PA), who have opted to pass on the torch to a new generation.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), who has represented the District of Columbia for over three decades, officially announced her retirement on Jan. 27 after months of questions from reporters whether she’d seek another term. Norton and her team were often on opposite wavelengths when answering questions about her political future, with the congresswoman offering a resounding “yes” while her staff said she was still deciding.
The retirement of household names comes as Democrats’ progressive base has been itching for new blood in Congress in the wake of significant losses in the 2024 election. Younger leaders and voters are pushing for their Democratic leaders to fight more against President Donald Trump, though legislatively, they often have their hands tied due to the GOP holding the majority in all three branches of government.
Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) is leaving politics because he is tired of the atmosphere and hyper-partisanship that’s grown on …
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