Two Republican U.S. representatives announce retirements


U.S. Reps. Paul Mitchell (R-Mich.) and Pete Olson (R-Texas) announced this week that they would not seek re-election in 2020. So far, 10 members of the U.S. House—three Democrats and seven Republicans—have announced they are not seeking re-election in 2020. Seven are retiring from public office, two are seeking a U.S. Senate seat, and one is running for governor. In 2018, 52 members of the U.S. House—18 Democrats and 34 Republicans—did not run for re-election.
 
Mitchell was first elected to represent Michigan’s 10th Congressional District in 2016 and won re-election in 2018 by 25 percentage points. Michigan’s 10th district intersects with one or more pivot counties, which are counties that voted for Donald Trump in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.
 
Olson was first elected to represent Texas’ 22nd Congressional District in 2008. He won re-election in 2018 by 5 percentage points after winning the previous four cycles by double digits. The upcoming election in Texas’ 22nd district is one of Ballotpedia’s 2020 battleground races.
 
Elections for all 435 U.S. House seats will take place in 2020. Heading into the election, the Democratic Party holds a majority of 235 seats to Republicans’ 197 seats.
 
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