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Members of Congress are leaving Capitol Hill at a historically high rate ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, driven by a mix of personal considerations, political calculations and growing frustration with an increasingly toxic and gridlocked institution.
Some say it is simply time to retire. Others want to focus on their health or families. Still others are opting out because they no longer want to work in Congress at all.
The trend accelerated again last week when two House Republicans announced they would not seek re-election. Rep. Barry Loudermilk of Georgia said Wednesday that he was retiring to “spend more dedicated time with my family,” while Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada announced Friday that he would step aside, saying it was “the right time for Nevada and myself to pass the torch.”
Their departures bring the total number of lawmakers who have announced they will not run for re-election in 2026 to 60 — including 51 House members and nine senators. That is the highest combined total this century, according to historical data from the Brookings Institution’s Vital Statistics on Congress.
The tally includes lawmakers retiring from public life as well as those leaving their seats to run for other offices, but does not include members who resigned or died during the current Congress.
GOP House departures mount
The number of House retirements is nearing a recent high set during the 2018 election cycle, when 52 lawmakers chose not to run again — a year that ended with Republicans losing 40 seats and control of the chamber.
As in 2018, more Republicans than Democrats are heading for the exits. So far, 30 House Republicans have announced their retirements or plans to seek other offices, compared with 21 Democrats.
Lawmakers cite a wide range of reasons for stepping aside, from health concerns and grueling travel schedules to the prospect of serving in the minority or pursuing higher office. And for many, Congress itself has become an unappealing place to work.
Running for something else — or walking away
More than two dozen House members are leaving to run for higher office, including Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois, who is running for an open Senate seat.
“The chance to be in a body that would, for instance, be able to hold the president accountable … it’s too hard to pass up,” Krishnamoorthi said. “So I’m seeking a promotion.”
Krishnamoorthi said the increasingly hostile political environment has also taken a toll.
“Over my 10 years here, I think Donald Trump has helped catalyze a real toxic partisan atmosphere,” he said. “Anybody who came here expecting something different … is going to be severely disappointed.”
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a New Jersey Democrat who is 81, said she decided it was time to step aside after decades in public service.
“I felt it was time that I needed to step aside, let someone else do this,” she said.
Though she believes Democrats could reclaim the House, Watson Coleman said the prospect of serving another term with Trump in the White House weighed heavily on her decision.
“I still would have had Donald Trump as a president,” she said. “And I tell you, that’s just sickening for me to have to deal with.”
What retirements can signal
Political scientists say retirement patterns can offer clues about how lawmakers view the coming election cycle.
“It can tell us something about members in the majority, their expectations about whether they’re still going to be in the majority in the next cycle,” said Molly Reynolds, vice president and director of Governance Studies at Brookings.
Republicans face a particularly narrow margin in the House, where Democrats need to flip just three seats to take control. While GOP strategists downplay the significance of retirements, the party is defending more open seats than Democrats.
In the Senate, retirements are more evenly split, with five Republicans and four Democrats stepping aside. Democrats face a steep climb to gain control, needing to flip four seats.
Gridlock, threats and burnout
For some lawmakers, the decision to leave is less about politics and more about quality of life.
Sarah Chamberlain, president and CEO of the Republican Main Street Partnership, said narrow margins and partisan warfare have made governing difficult.
“It is a tough place to be,” Chamberlain said, citing security concerns, threats against lawmakers and their families, and constant campaigning.
Those pressures factored into the decision by Rep. Jared Golden, a Democrat from Maine, not to seek re-election in a competitive district.
“As a father, I have to consider whether the good I can achieve outweighs everything my family endures as a result,” Golden wrote in a Bangor Daily News op-ed, noting his family spent a recent Thanksgiving in a hotel after his home was threatened.
Electoral impact remains limited — for now
Despite the large number of departures, only eight of the 51 retiring House members — five Republicans and three Democrats — represent districts considered competitive.
Among Democrats, Reps. Angie Craig of Minnesota and Chris Pappas of New Hampshire are vacating swing seats to run for Senate. On the Republican side, retirements by Reps. David Schweikert of Arizona, John James of Michigan, Ashley Hinson of Iowa and Andy Barr of Kentucky are opening competitive races.
The biggest potential blow for Republicans may be the retirement of Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who has repeatedly won in a Democratic-leaning district.
“This job requires a 14-hour day during the week,” Bacon said after announcing his retirement last year. “I just didn’t have the hunger to want to work at that intensity level.”
Democrats argue the wave of retirements reflects GOP pessimism about the midterms.
“House Republicans know they will lose the majority in November,” said Viet Shelton, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Republicans counter that most open seats are safely red.
“Democrats are excited about retirements in districts they can’t win,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella.
Generational pressure builds
Beyond electoral math, retirements are reshaping Congress as both parties grapple with internal pressure for generational change.
Democrats, in particular, have faced calls for younger leadership following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race and Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss to Trump. Several longtime Democratic leaders have chosen not to run again.
“I suspect that at least some of that is coming from … pressure on the Democratic side of the aisle for more younger voices,” Reynolds said.
Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York echoed that sentiment when he announced his retirement.
“Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party,” Nadler told The New York Times.
