Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) announced on May 5, 2025, that she will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.
On her retirement, Schakowsky said in a statement, “For my entire career, I have made it my mission to mentor and guide the next generation of leaders. In fact, when I talk with students, I do not ask them what they want to be when they grow up, I ask them what they want to do today to make a difference in this world. It is now time for me to pass the baton.”
In 1998, Schakowsky ran for her first term in the House in Illinois’ 9th Congressional District after then-Rep. Sidney R. Yates (D-Ill.) announced he would not seek re-election. Schakowsky defeated Herbert Sohn (R) in the general election 75% to 23%.
Schakowsky won by a median of 43 percentage points in her 13 subsequent re-election bids in which she ran with major party opposition. Schakowsky’s widest margin of victory (MOV) was in 2008, when she won by 53 percentage points. Her narrowest MOV was in 2012 and 2014, when she won by 32 percentage points in each election.
As of May 6, 2025, independent race forecasters The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections have rated the 2026 general election for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District as Solid Democratic. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it as Safe Democratic. According to the Associated Press’ Sophia Tareen, “The heavily Democratic 9th District includes Chicago neighborhoods along Lake Michigan and a mix of wealthy and middle-class suburbs north and northwest of the city.”
As of May 6, 2025, 16 members of the U.S. Congress—five senators and 11 representatives—have announced they will not seek re-election to their current seats in 2026.
Of the 11 representatives—five Democrats and five Republicans—not seeking re-election:
- Two Democrats are retiring from public office.
- Five—four Democrats and one Republican—are running for the U.S. Senate.
- Four—all Republicans—are running for governor.
Compared to the last four election cycles, there were 10 retirement announcements at this point in 2024, 12 in 2022, five in 2020, and eight in 2018.
From January 2011 and to now, Ballotpedia followed 363 announcements from Senate and House members who announced they would not seek re-election. January had seen the highest number of announcements of any month at 69. The fewest announcements—12—happened in June.
