60 Members Of Congress Are Calling It Quits, Right here Are The Numbers By Every Occasion
It appears many lawmakers are finally realizing they are too old or overwhelmed to handle the daily duties of serving as a U.S. lawmaker.
The drastic number of lawmakers retiring or deciding not to run for re-election is about to hit historic numbers.
In total, a combined 60 lawmakers, including both representatives and senators, have announced their days in Congress will soon be over.
NBC News broke down the numbers in each party:
Some feel they’ve hit an appropriate retirement age. Others want to tend to their health or their families. Yet more are leaving because they don’t like the workplace.
Add it all together, and members of Congress are heading for the exit at a historically high rate ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, with two more House Republicans adding themselves to a growing roster just last week.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., announced Wednesday that he was retiring from Congress, while Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., announced Friday that he wouldn’t run for re-election, either. Loudermilk said he wants “to spend more dedicated time with my family,” while Amodei said it was “the right time for Nevada and myself to pass the torch.”
The latest retirements mean 60 members of Congress have decided not to run for re-election this year — 51 House members and nine senators. It’s the most retirements from both chambers combined this century, according to historical data from the Brookings Institution’s Vital Statistics on Congress. That includes lawmakers who are retiring from political life altogether and those leaving their seats to run for other offices, but it doesn’t include members who have resigned or died during the current Congress.
So far, 30 House Republicans are retiring, compared with 21 Democrats. The Senate is more evenly divided, with five Republicans and four Democrats retiring, as Democrats face an uphill battle to net the four seats they need for control. The Senate figure also doesn’t include a handful of members who are running for other offices but aren’t up for re-election this year, like Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
The exits equate to 11% of Congress:
Over 11% of Congress is retiring or seeking another office after 2026 — and I got you covered on live updates!
Keep tabs on who’s saying goodbye to politics…for now…and who’s looking for a new job (& check out our cool graphics by @grace_hagerman_ !)https://t.co/BY5MLbyr9S pic.twitter.com/f5AIIK5RTG
— Rachel Schilke (@rachel_schilke) February 10, 2026
My News 4 reported on the latest Republican to announce his retirement from Congress:
For the first time in 15 years, it’s a wide-open race for Nevada’s Second Congressional District in 2026, following Rep. Mark Amodei’s announcement Friday that he would retire at the end of his term.
The announcement, which came as a surprise to many political observers, has created renewed interest in a typically predictable contest.
As Amodei retires, GOP contenders consider open Nevada seat, Dems eye ‘longshot’ flip
Possible GOP contenders are considering whether to run, with at least one already declining to purse the seat.
Meanwhile, Democrats see strong headwinds for Republicans in the midterms and believe they have a ‘long shot’ to turn the seat blue for the first time ever.
Hopefully, the exits of these lawmakers will bring in a new generation of lawmakers ready to put America first.