Rep. Dan Newhouse becomes the 43rd U.S. House member who is not running for re-election in 2026

By

Briana Ryan

Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) announced on Dec. 17, 2025, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.

On his retirement, Newhouse posted on X, "I am announcing today that I will not seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives. Serving the Fourth District of Washington has been the honor of my life, and this decision comes with no reservations or remorse, only gratitude for the tremendous opportunity to have represented my home state in Congress.”

In 2014, Newhouse won his first term in the U.S. House in Washington’s 4th Congressional District after then-incumbent Rep. Richard "Doc" Hastings (R-Wash.) announced his retirement. Newhouse defeated  Clint Didier (R) in the general election 49% to 51%. In his five subsequent re-election bids, Newhouse won by 16 percentage points in 2016, 26 percentage points in 2018, 32 percentage points in 2020, 36 percentage points in 2022, and six percentage points in 2024.

As of Nov. 25, 2025, independent race forecasters The Cook Political Report and Inside Elections have rated the 2026 general election for the district as Solid Republican. Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Republican.

Newhouse was one of 10 Republican members of the U.S. House who voted to impeach President Donald Trump (R) for incitement of insurrection on Jan. 13, 2021. Newhouse and Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) are the only two of the 10 who are still serving in the U.S. House. 

As of Dec. 17, 2025, Newhouse is one of 51 members of the U.S. Congress—eight U.S. Senate members and 43 U.S. House members—who have announced they will not seek re-election to their current seats in 2026.

Of the 43 U.S. House incumbents who are not seeking re-election:

  • Seventeen—11 Democrats and six Republicans—are retiring from public office.
  • Thirteen—seven Democrats and six Republicans—are running for the U.S. Senate.
  • Twelve—one Democrat and 11 Republicans—are running for governor.
  • One Republican is running for state attorney general.

At this point in the last four election cycles, there were 33 retirement announcements in 2024, 30 in 2022, 30 in 2020, and 33 in 2018. 

Between January 2011 and December 2025, 343 U.S. House incumbents announced they would not seek re-election. January had the highest number of members announcing they would not run for re-election at 57. The fewest announcements took place in June at 15.