Thirty-five members of Congress have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026

By

Briana Ryan

Thirty-five members of the U.S. Congress—eight U.S. Senate members and 27 U.S. House members—have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Compared to previous election cycles, 35 is the most retirement announcements we have tracked at this point since 2018.

Since our Aug. 18 update, six U.S. House members and one U.S. Senate member have announced that they will not seek re-election in 2026. Of those seven members, five are retiring from public office and two are running for other offices.

Here are the seven members who have announced their retirements since our last update, as well as how independent race forecasters have rated the 2026 general election for each district or seat these incumbents currently represent:

  • Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) announced on Aug. 21 that he will retire from public office. Race forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Solid or Safe Democratic.
  • Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) announced on Aug. 21 that he will run for attorney general of Texas. Race forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Solid or Safe Republican.
  • Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) announced on Sept. 1 that he will retire from public office. Race forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Solid or Safe Democratic.
  • Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced on Sept. 2 that she will retire from public office. Race forecasters have rated the election for the seat as Likely Republican.
  • Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) announced on Sept. 2 that she will run for the U.S. Senate in Iowa. Race forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Solid or Likely Republican.
  • Rep. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas) announced on Sept. 11 that he will retire from public office. Race forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Solid or Safe Republican.
  • Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) announced on Sept. 14 that he will retire from public office. Race forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Solid or Safe Republican.

U.S. House

Twenty-seven members of the U.S. House—10 Democrats and 17 Republicans—will not seek re-election in 2026. Of the 27 members not seeking re-election:

  • Eight—five Democrats and three Republicans—are retiring from public office.
  • Ten—five Democrats and five Republicans—are running for the U.S. Senate.
  • Eight—all Republicans—are running for governor of their respective states.
  • One Republican is running for attorney general of Texas.

At this point in the last four election cycles, there were 15 retirement announcements in 2024, 19 in 2022, 21 in 2020, and 21 in 2018.

U.S. Senate

Eight members of the U.S. Senate—four Democrats and four Republicans—announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. In addition to Ernst, Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jeanne Shaheen(D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) are retiring from public office. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) is running for governor of Alabama.

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

Between January 2011 and September 2025, 377 members of the U.S. Senate and House announced they would not seek re-election. January had seen the highest number of announcements of any month at 69. The fewest announcements—16—happened in June.

Click here to read more about members of the U.S. Senate who are not seeking re-election in 2026, and here for more about members of the U.S. House who are not seeking re-election in 2026.