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Rep. Daniel Webster becomes the 56th U.S. representative to announce he won’t seek re-election in 2026

By

Briana Ryan

Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.) announced on April 28, 2026, that he will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.

In a statement announcing his retirement, Webster said, “I’ve never taken for granted my responsibility to Florida’s hardworking taxpayers and families to advance common-sense reforms and principled policy. The time has come to pass the torch to the next conservative leader and spend more precious time with my wife, children and 24 grandchildren.”

In 2010, Webster won his first term in the U.S. House in Florida’s 8th Congressional District. In the general election, Webster defeated then-incumbent Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) 56% to 38%.

Due to redistricting, Webster ran in Florida’s 10th Congressional District in 2012 and 2014. He won re-election by three percentage points and 23 percentage points, respectively.

From 2016 to 2024, Webster ran in Florida’s 11th Congressional District after new redistricting. He won by 34 percentage points in 2016, 30 percentage points in 2018, 33 percentage points in 2020, 28 percentage points in 2022, and 21 percentage points in 2024.

As of April 28, 2026, 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.

As of April 28, 2026, Graves is one of 67 members of the U.S. Congress — 11 U.S. Senate members and 56 U.S. House members — who have announced they will not seek re-election to their current seats in 2026.

Of the 56 U.S. House incumbents who are not seeking re-election:

  • Twenty-nine — 13 Democrats and 16 Republicans — are retiring from public office.
  • Sixteen — seven Democrats and nine Republicans — are running for the U.S. Senate.
  • Ten — all Republicans — are running for governor.
  • One Republican is running for state attorney general.

Compared to the last four election cycles, there were 44 retirement announcements at this point in 2024, 46 in 2022, 35 in 2020, and 49 in 2018. 

Between January 2011 and April 2026, Ballotpedia tracked 359 announcements by U.S. House members that they would not seek re-election. January had the highest number of members announcing they would not run for re-election at 62. The fewest announcements took place in June at 15.