Congressional Retirements/Vacancies
April 28, 2026
A total of 67 Members of Congress have announced retirement or will run for higher office to their current seats in 2026.
- To date, the 12% retirement rate is outpacing any congressional cycle going back to 1992.
- Republicans account for a larger share of departures, driven heavily by House members running for higher office. Democratic turnover skews more toward outright retirements among senior lawmakers.
Source: Ballotpedia
By the numbers: In the House, 35 Republicans have announced their retirement compared to 21 Democrats, for a total of 56.
- Exiting Office: 28 (13 Democrats and 15 Republicans) are retiring from public office.
- Senate Seekers: 16 (7 Democrats and 9 Republicans) are running for the US Senate.
- State Office: 10 Republicans are running for Governor. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) is running for state attorney general.
In the Senate, seven Republicans and four Democrats are declining to run again for their seats and ten are retiring from public office, except one, Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), who is running for Governor of Alabama.
- In addition to the above, three members not up for re-election in 2026 are running for Governor in their states: Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN. If they win their respective races this fall, there will be three more vacancies to fill next Congress.
The big picture: In addition to this total, three resignations and two deaths in the last three months have opened five seats. This leaves the House party breakdown at 217 Republicans, 212 Democrats and 1 independent.
- Vacancies and retirements were cited as issues for Speaker Johnson and the GOP at the beginning of this Congress as the Speaker forced to work through legislation with narrow margins.
- Those narrow margins, vacancies, and absentees will continue to be an issue for the GOP as they try to hold onto their majorities in both chambers this fall.
Retirements have played no small part in this calculation as mass retirements by one party are a leading indicator of the parties election prospects the next fall.
- When a member retires, any incumbency advantage that the party originally had for that seat evaporates. This can include name recognition, a seasoned campaign team, and a congressional record on which to run.
- Separately, a retirement opens up a primary election that can take up valuable time and money that otherwise would be spent running against the opposing party.
The bottom line: Democrats are well-positioned to take control of the House in just over six months, and the Senate is in play.
Contact James Montfort (jmontfort@crefc.org) with any questions.