Bold reality check: more than one in ten members of Congress won’t be returning after 2026, driven by redistricting, retirements, and ambitious runs for different offices.
The U.S. Capitol is pictured during a procedural vote on a major bill in July in Washington, DC. Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images hide caption
More than a tenth of the current Congress has signaled they will not return after the 2026 midterms. As of December 17, 2025, NPR’s Congressional retirement tracker shows 54 current representatives and Senators either retiring or pursuing another office — 10 senators and 44 House members.
These departures include longtime leaders such as California Representative Nancy Pelosi and Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, the planned exit of Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene after high-profile tensions with the Trump circle, and numerous others seeking state or local roles instead of federal service.
Overall, 25 are retiring from public office, while the rest are aiming for different federal roles — 15 seeking gubernatorial posts and 13 aiming to move from the House to the Senate. For instance, Texas Representative Chip Roy is pursuing the office of state attorney general.
Even some current lawmakers aren’t running again in 2026 but would resign if they win other offices. Among them are Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn and Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, both open to resign if they clinch a gubernatorial race.
These departures include eight lawmakers who began the 119th Congress in January but have since died or resigned. Notably, former Representative Mikie Sherrill stepped down from her New Jersey seat on November 20 after securing the governorship.
The pace sets a record for departures in the Trump era. NPR’s review of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress and campaign records shows about 900 individuals have served in Congress since 2017: 132 senators, 751 representatives, and 17 who have served in both chambers.
Historically, roughly two-thirds of the Senate and 44% of the House have served since Trump’s term began, with retirement being the most common exit path (over 140 lawmakers between 2017 and 2024).
Pelosi’s announcement followed the November 2025 off-year elections, which saw Democrats performing strongly and signaling she wouldn’t seek another term. Greene’s resignation effective January 5, 2026 followed a public clash with the President over the second-term agenda and the Epstein documents.
Looking ahead to 2026, many older Democrats are passing the torch to newer generations, including Senators Dick Durbin and Jeanne Shaheen and Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Dwight Evans, and Danny Davis.
An unusually high share of lawmakers are pursuing governor, Senate, or other offices, including 12 House members and three senators. The 54 announcements before the end of 2025 set a modern record for this stage of the cycle, and mark the greatest turnover in the Senate since 2012.
Redistricting and tight midterm majorities are shaping decisions. Republicans hold narrow control of both chambers heading into an election year with voter sentiment wary of Trump’s second-term agenda. Mid-decade redistricting efforts in Republican-led states aim to gain favorable districts, while Democratic-led states such as California have redrawn lines in response, accelerating some retirements.
The Supreme Court’s ruling allowing Texas’ new map to be used in 2026 occurred just ahead of the December 8 primary deadline that saw nine incumbents retire, seek the Senate, or run for other offices. California’s aggressive redraw could push additional Republicans toward retirement or into primaries."
