Congressional Retirements Climb at Fastest Rate in 10 Years

According to recent announcements from various congressional members, the number of retirements ahead of 2024 is spiking to a rate not seen for over a decade.

Several noteworthy names have announced they will not seek re-election and will instead pursue other objectives outside of Congress or run for higher office elsewhere.

According to reports, many retirements stem from the simple fact that working in Congress is just as discouraging as watching Congress work from afar, Axios reports:

Lawmakers are fleeing Congress at a record clip, with 13 senators and representatives announcing this month they won’t seek re-election — the highest number in more than a decade, according to Ballotpedia.

Why it matters: Rancor and recriminations from the House speaker’s battle, a surge in partisan censures and impeachments and yet another government shutdown threat have created a perfect storm for retirements.

State of play: The routine infighting and childish behavior — insults like “p***y” and “smurf” were exchanged on Capitol Hill this month — has exhausted some lawmakers. But the exits are also driven by ambition.

So, who’s leaving? It’s a mix of names from both parties that includes some notables like West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, for starters.

Incumbent Senators Retiring

• Joe Manchin (D) West Virginia
• Laphonza Butler (D) California
• Debbie Stabenow (D) Michigan
• Ben Cardin (D) Maryland
• Tom Carper (D) Delaware
• Mitt Romney (R) Utah

Incumbent Senators Running for Governor

• Mike Braun (R) Indiana

U.S. House Members Retiring

• Bill Johnson (R) Ohio’s 6th CD
• Anna Eshoo (D) California’s 16th CD
• Tony Cárdenas (D) California’s 29th CD
• Dan Kildee (D) Michigan’s 8th CD
• George Santos (R) New York’s 3rd CD
• Michael Burgess (R) Texas’ 26th CD
• Brad Wenstrup (R) Ohio’s 2nd CD
• Derek Kilmer (D) Washington’s 6th CD
• Kay Granger (R) Texas’ 12th CD
• Ken Buck (R) Colorado’s 4th CD
• Earl Blumenauer (D) Oregon’s 3rd CD
• John Sarbanes (D) Maryland’s 3rd CD
• Debbie Lesko (R) Arizona’s 8th CD
• Jennifer Wexton (D) Virginia’s 10th CD
• Grace Napolitano (D) California’s 31st CD

U.S. House Members Seeking U.S. Senate Seats

• Andy Kim (D) New Jersey’s 3rd CD
• Lisa Blunt Rochester (D) Delaware’s At-Large CD
• David Trone (D) Maryland’s 6th CD
• Colin Allred (D) Texas’ 32nd CD
• Elissa Slotkin (D) Michigan’s 7th CD
• Barbara Lee (D) California’s 12th CD
• Adam Schiff(D) California’s 30th CD
• Ruben Gallego (D) Arizona’s 3rd CD
• Jim Banks (R) Indiana’s 3rd CD
• Katie Porter (D) California’s 47th CD
• Alex Mooney (R) West Virginia’s 2nd CD

U.S. House Members Running for Governor

• Abigail Spanberger (D) Virginia’s 7th CD

U.S. House Members Seeking Other Office

• Dean Phillips (D) Minnesota’s 3rd CD
• Jeff Jackson (D) North Carolina’s 14th CD
• Dan Bishop (R) North Carolina’s 8th CD

The list is subject to change and there is likely to be another small flood of retirements coming after the new year as the 2024 election cycle begins in earnest.

The end result will be new pickup opportunities for both parties whenever a congressional seat becomes an open race. In particular, Republicans are looking at Joe Manchin’s seat in West Virginia as a prime pickup location to add another GOP Senator.

Expect more announcements in January.