The House Republicans and Democrats not seeking reelection in 2020

With the 2020 election still more than a year away, ten House members have already called it quits, giving early shape for the battle of Congress’ lower chamber.

While some of the eight Republicans and two Democrats announcing their retirement at the end of their terms represent safe red or blue districts, others have set up competitive races for their replacement.

{mosads}The retirements signify simmering frustration with the House’s inner workings, particularly among Republicans in the minority, with many issues devolving into partisan and personal barbs.

Here are the House Republicans and Democrats who have announced their retirements so far: 

Republican retirements

Rep. Rob Bishop (Utah):
Bishop announced his retirement at the end of July, joining the middle of a pack of Republicans announcing their departures.

A nine-term incumbent, Bishop serves as the top Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee. He is Utah’s longest serving House representative. He hasn’t ruled out a gubernatorial bid if the circumstances are right. 

He won reelection by over 36 points in 2018.

Rep. Susan Brooks (Ind.):
Brooks announced in June that she would not seek reelection in 2020, saying she was considering “How do I want to spend the next chapter of my life?” 

She leaves behind a safely Republican district in the Hoosier State. But her announcement was significant as House Republicans currently have only 13 women in their conference.

The Indiana Republican also leads the National Republican Congressional Committee’s recruitment efforts this cycle as her party tries to win back the chamber.

Her efforts focus largely on attracting female candidates for the 2020 cycle after House Republicans added just one woman to their ranks following the 2018 midterms.

Rep. Mike Conaway (Texas):
Conaway joined the parade of retirements at the end of July, expressing frustration with Republicans’ status in the minority. 

“Now, you know, being in the minority is a frustrating experience. As anybody who’s worth a salt would confess that the partnership has become too intense. It’s gotten to be where it’s a lot more important about the jersey than the issue that we’ve got at hand, though we’ve got some daunting tasks ahead of us,” he said at the press conference. 

Conaway is the top Republican on the House Agriculture Committee and serves as a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, where he played a key role in its Russia probe.

He won reelection in 2018 by over 61 points.

Rep. Will Hurd (Texas):
Hurd, the only black Republican the House, is the most recent Republican member to announce his retirement, declaring on August 1 his intention to not run for reelection, setting up what is expected to be one of the toughest House races in the 2020 cycle.

Hurd, who was elected in 2014 after serving in the CIA, said he is leaving the House to “pursue opportunities outside the halls of Congress to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security.”

He represents a Texas border district stretching from the San Antonio suburbs to El Paso that he won by just half a point in 2018. His district also voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016 when he won his second term.

The Cook Political Report changed its rating for the House race from “Toss Up” to “Lean Democratic” after Hurd’s announcement. 

Democrat Gina Ortiz, who narrowly lost her bid to unseat Hurd in 2018, is running for the district again next year.

“Contrary to what the pundits will tell you, this is an R+1 district and we will fight tooth and nail to ensure it remains in Republican hands in 2020,” Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.

Rep. Paul Mitchell (Mich.):
Mitchell, who’s only in his second term in the House, announced his retirement in July, citing frustration with the rhetoric in Congress.

“A career in Washington has never been my objective. My objective has always been simply to work to address significant challenges this nation faces: health care, immigration, and infrastructure for example,” he said in his announcement. “However, it appears to me that rhetoric overwhelms policy, and politics consumes much of the oxygen in this city.”

Mitchell represents a safely Republican district north of Detroit that President Trump won by over 30 points in 2016 and Mitchell won in by over 25 points last year. 

Rep. Pete Olsen (Texas):
Olson announced his retirement near the end of July, teeing up a competitive race in his Houston-area district to replace him. 

The six-term lawmaker said he did not intend to make a career out of serving in Congress and called on his successor to do the same. 

“Protecting our future and preserving our exceptional nation are the reasons I first ran for Congress,” he said. “Now, it’s time for another citizen-legislator to take up this mission, not to make a career out of politics, but to help lead in the cause of empowering our people, defending our liberties, and making sure America remains the greatest nation in history.”

The Texas Republican narrowly won reelection in 2018, defeating Democrat Sri Kulkarni in the 22nd District by a 51 percent to 46 percent margin. Kulkarni launched a second bid for the seat in April. The Cook Political Report changed its rating of the House race from “lean Republican” to “toss up” in light of Olson’s announcement. 

Rep. Martha Roby (Ala.):
Roby said in July she would not run for reelection in 2020, leaving behind a safely Republican district she kept by 23 points in 2018.

The five-term incumbent was one of the first to retract her endorsement of now-President Trump during the 2016 election after his controversial remarks on a leaked Access Hollywood tape became public. 

Despite the rebuke, Trump ultimately endorsed Roby in her primary runoff against challenger Bobby Bright in 2018.

Rep. Rob Woodall (Ga.):
Woodall announced in February that he would retire after the end of his term. His reelection in 2018 came in one of the closest House races in the entire 2018 cycle, winning another term by just 419 votes over Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux.

Bourdeaux is running again in a district the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will be targeting in 2020 to try to expand the Democratic majority. She reported in February that she raised over $100,000 in the first week of her campaign. 

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election handicapper, rates the race as a “Toss Up.”

Democratic retirements

Rep. Dave Loebsack (Iowa):
Loebsack declared in April his intention to retire at the end of his term, setting up a competitive race to replace him.

“Having grown up in poverty, I never would have imagined having the honor of serving as the voice of Iowans in the U.S. House of Representatives,” he said in a statement. “To best achieve that, I made it a point to meet with folks where they live, work and play in order to focus on improving their lives. I have worked hard to ensure ALL Iowans have had their voice heard.”

Loebsack will have served in the House for seven terms by the time he leaves the House, though his district went for President Trump by 4 points in 2016. The National Republican Campaign Committee included it in its 55 initial targets announced in February. 

The Cook Political Report rates the race as a “Toss Up.”

Rep. Jose Serrano (N.Y.):
Serrano announced in March that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and will not seek reelection in 2020.

“Although this disease has not affected my work in Congress, over the last few months I’ve come to the realization that Parkinson’s will eventually take a toll, and that I cannot predict its rate of advancement,” Serrano, 75, said in a statement. “Because of this uncertainty, I do not intend to seek re-election in 2020. I do intend to serve the remainder of my term in the 116th Congress.”

Serrano, who has represented the Bronx in the House since 1990, is the longest-serving Latino congressman in history. He is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and the chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science Subcommittee.

He won reelection with 96 percent of the vote in 2018.