Who in Congress is just not working for reelection in 2026? : NPR

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Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Pictures Greater than a tenth of the present Congress has now indicated they won't return to their seats after the 2026 midterms, pushed by redistricting, retirements and lawmakers working for various places of work.

In line with NPR's Congressional retirement tracker, as of Dec. 17, 2025, there are 54 present representatives and Senators who're retiring or working for a unique workplace — 10 senators and 44 Home members.

They embody the retirement of longtime leaders like California Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the deliberate resignation of onetime Trump ally-turned-foe Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and a slew of politicians trying to flee Washington, D.C. for state or native places of work.

There are 25 retiring from public workplace with the remainder working for a unique workplace — 15 trying to turn into governor of their state and 13 trying to make the leap from Home to Senate.

Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy is trying to turn into his state's legal professional common.

Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet aren't up for reelection in 2026, however would resign their seats in the event that they win their respective gubernatorial races.

They be a part of eight lawmakers who started the 119th Congress in January and have since died or resigned. Former Rep. Mikie Sherrill resigned her New Jersey Home seat efficient Nov. 20 after successful her race for governor earlier within the month.

On tempo for file departures within the Trump period

In line with an NPR evaluation of the Biographical Listing of america Congress and marketing campaign data, 900 individuals have served in Congress since President Trump first took workplace in 2017. That features 132 senators, 751 representatives — and 17 who've served in each chambers.

Virtually two-thirds of the present Senate and 44% of the present Home have served for the reason that begin of Trump's time period, too.

The commonest option to depart Congress within the Trump period is retirement, as greater than 140 lawmakers have accomplished from 2017-2024.

Pelosi's announcement got here shortly after November 2025 off-year elections that noticed Democrats surge in races throughout the nation that she wouldn't search one other time period. Greene's shock resolution to resign efficient Jan. 5, 2026 got here after a really public conflict with President Trump over his second time period agenda and the discharge of the Epstein information.

Forward of the 2026 midterms, many older Democrats are opting to go the torch to a youthful technology, like Sens. Dick Durbin and Jeanne Shaheen and Reps. Jan Schakowsky, Dwight Evans and Danny Davis.

An unusually excessive variety of lawmakers are working for governor, Senate and different political places of work, together with 12 Home members and three senators working for governor of their state.

The 54 bulletins made earlier than the tip of 2025 is a contemporary file for this far forward of the election for each chambers. It additionally contains essentially the most Senate turnover since 2012.

Redistricting and slim majorities in a midterm 12 months are components

Republicans have slim management of each the Home and the Senate heading into an election 12 months the place the get together faces headwinds with voters sad with Trump's second-term agenda.

Efforts by Republican-led states to enact mid-decade gerrymandering to achieve extra favorable districts — and retaliatory redrawing by Democratic-led states like California — has led to a reshuffling of boundary traces that has accelerated some lawmakers' selections.

The Supreme Court docket dominated that Texas' new congressional map will likely be utilized in 2026, coming simply forward of the state's Dec. 8 major qualifying deadline that noticed 9 incumbents retire, file for the Senate or run for different places of work.

California's drastic redraw that favors Democrats might see some focused Republicans announce retirement or be pressured right into a major problem in opposition to one other sitting Republican.