Sixty-six members of the U.S. Congress — 56 U.S. representatives and 10 U.S. senators — have announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. 

Since our Feb. 10 update, four U.S. representatives and one U.S. senator announced they will not seek re-election. Here’s a list of how independent election forecasters have rated the 2026 general election for each district and state these incumbents currently represent.

• Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) announced on March 2 that he is retiring from public office. Election forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Solid or Likely Republican.
• Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) announced on March 4 that he is retiring from public office. Election forecasters have rated the election for the seat as either Solid or Likely Republican.
• Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) announced on March 4 that he is retiring from public office. Election forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Solid or Safe Republican.
• Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) announced on March 5 that he is retiring from public office. Election forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Solid or Safe Republican.
• Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) announced on March 6 that he is retiring from public office. Election forecasters have rated the election for the district as either Toss-up or Tilt Democratic.

U.S. House of Representatives

Fifty-six U.S. representatives — 21 Democrats and 35 Republicans — will not seek re-election in 2026. Of the 56 members not seeking re-election:

• Twenty-eight — 13 Democrats and 15 Republicans — are retiring from public office
• Sixteen — seven Democrats and nine Republicans — are running for the U.S. Senate
• Eleven — one Democrat and 10 Republicans — are running for governor
• One Republican is running for state attorney general

At this point in the last four election cycles, there were 42 retirement announcements in 2024, 45 in 2022, 34 in 2020, and 46 in 2018.

Seven of the 56 retiring U.S. representatives — two Democrats and five Republicans — won by 10 percentage points or fewer in 2024. Three U.S. representatives — Jared Golden (D-Maine), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), and David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) — won by fewer than five percentage points.

U.S. Senate

Ten senators — four Democrats and six Republicans — announced they will not seek re-election in 2026. Senators Daines, Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), 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 eight retirement announcements in 2024, six in 2022, four in 2020, and three in 2018.

Looking at the last time those 10 U.S. senators ran in 2020, five of them — two Democrats and three Republicans — won by 10 percentage points or less. Tillis and Peters won by less than five percentage points.

Between January 2011 and March 2026, 406 U.S. Senate and House incumbents announced they would not seek re-election. The 73 retirement announcements in January is the most of any month. June had the fewest at 16.