One 2020 Congressional retirement announced last week; 1,842 major party candidates filed for 2020 Congressional races


In the past week, one member of the 116th Congress announced that he would not seek re-election in 2020. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) announced his retirement on October 28. To date, four Senators (three Republicans and one Democrat) and 26 Representatives (19 Republicans and seven Democrats) are not running for re-election. In 2018, 55 total members of Congress—18 Democrats and 37 Republicans—did not seek re-election.
 
As of November 4, 2019, 278 candidates are filed with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) to run for U.S. Senate in 2020. Of those, 244—130 Democrats and 114 Republicans—are from one of the two major political parties. In 2018, 527 candidates filed with the FEC to run for U.S. Senate, including 137 Democrats and 240 Republicans.
 
1,701 candidates are filed with the FEC to run for U.S. House in 2020. Of those, 1,598—801 Democrats and 797 Republicans—are from one of the two major political parties. In 2018, 3,244 candidates filed with the FEC, including 1,566 Democrats and 1,155 Republicans.
 
On November 3, 2020, 35 Senate seats and all 435 House seats are up for election. Of those Senate seats, 33 are regularly-scheduled elections, one is a special election in Arizona, and another is an expected special election in Georgia. Twelve are Democratic-held seats and 23 are Republican-held seats. In the House, where all the seats are up for election, Democrats currently hold a 234-seat majority.
 
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