As of Jan. 12, 55 members of Congress — 46 House members and nine senators — have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. That’s the highest number of retirement announcements at this point in an election cycle since 2018.
Since the last update on Dec. 17, four representatives and one senator have added their names to the list. Below is a recap, along with how independent election forecasters rate the 2026 general election in each seat these incumbents currently hold.
- Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) announced on Dec. 17 that he is retiring from public office. Forecasters rate the district as either Solid or Safe Republican.
- Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) announced on Dec. 19 that she is retiring from public office. Forecasters rate the seat as either Solid or Safe Republican.
- Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) announced on Dec. 23 that she is running for the U.S. Senate in Wyoming. Forecasters rate the House seat as either Solid or Safe Republican.
- Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced on Jan. 7 that he is retiring from public office. Forecasters rate the district as either Solid or Safe Democratic.
- Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) announced on Jan. 8 that she is retiring from public office. Forecasters rate the district as either Solid or Safe Democratic.
Two other developments Tweens highlight why these totals can shift quickly: Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) resigned on Jan. 5, and Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.) died Jan. 6. Because neither finished their House terms, they are not included in this retirement tally.
U.S. House of Representatives
In the House, 46 members — 21 Democrats and 25 Republicans — have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Among those 46:
- 20 (13 Democrats, seven Republicans) are retiring from public office
- 14 (seven Democrats, seven Republicans) are running for U.S. Senate
- 11 (one Democrat, 10 Republicans) are running for governor
- 1 Republican is running for Texas attorney general
For context, at the same point in the last four election cycles, there were 40 such announcements in 2024, 41 in 2022, 34 in 2020, and 42 in 2018.
The seats may not all be equally competitive. Six of the 46 outgoing House members — two Democrats and four Republicans — won by 10 percentage points or fewer in 2024. Three of them — Jared Golden (D-Maine), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) — won by less than five points, making their districts among the most closely contested on the list.
U.S. Senate
In the Senate, nine members — four Democrats and five Republicans — say they will not seek re-election in 2026.
Eight are retiring from public office:
- Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.)
- Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)
- Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)
- Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)
- Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
- Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
- Tina Smith (D-Minn.)
- Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
One senator is leaving to run for another office:
- Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), who is running for governor of Alabama
At this stage in prior cycles, Senate retirement totals were lower: seven in 2024, six in 2022, four in 2020, and three in 2018.
Looking back to the last time these nine senators ran (in 2020), four — two Democrats and two Republicans — won by 10 points or less. Tillis and Peters each won by less than five points, suggesting at least some of these open seats could become major battlegrounds.
A Longer-Term Look at Retirements
From January 2011 through January 2026, a total of 400 Senate and House incumbents announced they would not seek re-election. January stands out historically with 69 announcements — the highest of any month in that period — while June had the fewest, at 16.
