Forty-six lawmakers have announced they won’t seek reelection in 2020.
In the House, 28 Republicans are heading for the doors, compared with just nine Democrats. Another three Republicans – Reps. Chris Collins (N.Y.), Duncan Hunter (Calif.) and Sean Duffy (Wis.) – have already resigned, along with one Democrat, Rep. Katie Hill (Calif.).
On the Senate side, four GOP senators aren’t seeking another term, while only one Democrat has said the same.
Below is a list of who is retiring from Congress, who is vacating their seat to seek office elsewhere and who will leave before their term is up.
This list will be updated whenever a lawmaker announces a retirement or resignation.
RECENT UPDATES: Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-La.).
HOUSE REPUBLICANS (28)
Ralph Abraham (La.)
The Louisiana Republican announced in February 2020 that he would not seek a fourth term. “The decision to serve only three terms as a Member of the House is one that I made six years ago, but I very much look forward to supporting the President’s agenda for the remainder of my tenure in Congress and in other capacities moving forward,” he said in a statement.
Bradley Byrne (Ala.)
Byrne announced in February 2019 that he will run for the Senate in 2020. He will attempt to unseat Sen. Doug Jones, the Democratic incumbent.
Rob Bishop (Utah)
Bishop confirmed on July 29, 2019, that he will not seek reelection. He had previously said he would remain in office only if he could serve in a leadership position on a committee. Bishop was chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, but lost his chairmanship when Democrats won the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.
Susan Brooks (Ind.)
Brooks said she will not seek reelection during an interview with the Indianapolis Star on June 14, 2019.
In the interview, Brooks said, “This really is not about the party. It’s not about the politics. It’s just about, ‘How do I want to spend the next chapter of my life?'”
Doug Collins (Ga.)
The outspoken Trump ally announced in January 2020 that he would not seek reelection to his House seat and would instead launch a primary challenge against incumbent Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.).
Mike Conaway (Texas)
Conaway announced in a press conference on July 31, 2019, that he will retire at the end of his term.
“This chapter in our lives has been more fulfilling than I could have ever imagined. Well, all things come to an end, and my eighth term in Congress will be my endpoint,” Conaway said.
Paul Cook (Calif.)
Cook announced on Sept. 17, 2019, that he will retire from Congress at the end of the 116th Congress to run for a seat on the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors.
Bill Flores (Texas)
Flores said on Sept. 4, 2019, that he will not seek reelection. He said he made the decision in order to honor a term-limit pledge he made when he first ran for office.
“After much prayer over the past few days and following conversations with my wife, Gina, during that time, I have decided that my current term will be my last,” Flores said in a statement.
Greg Gianforte (Mont.)
Gianforte declared his gubernatorial candidacy at Montana’s state party convention on June 14, 2019.
Tom Graves (Ga.)
“As we all do, I’m entering a new season in life. An exciting season. So, the time has come for me to pass the baton. Now it’s my turn to cheer, support and sacrifice for those who have done the same for me over the last two decades,” he said in a statement on Dec. 5, 2019.
George Holding (N.C.)
Holding said in Dec. 6, 2019, statement that he would not seek reelection after redistricting removed several rural counties from his district.
“I should add, candidly, that, yes, the newly redrawn Congressional Districts were part of the reason I have decided not to seek reelection. But, in addition, this is also a good time for me to step back and reflect on all that I have learned,” Holding said in the statement.
Will Hurd (Texas)
Hurd tweeted on Aug. 1, 2019, that we would not seek reelection.
“I have made the decision to not seek reelection for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas in order to pursue opportunities outside the halls of Congress to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security,” Hurd said.
Peter King (N.Y.)
King said in a statement on Nov. 11 that “after 28 years of spending 4 days a week in Washington, D.C., it is time to end the weekly commute and be home in Seaford.”
Kenny Marchant (Texas)
Marchant released a statement on Aug. 5, 2019, announcing he would not seek reelection.
“It is time for me to announce that I will not seek another term as Congressman from the 24th District of Texas,” Marchant said. “I am looking forward to finishing out my term and then returning to Texas to start a new chapter.”
Roger Marshall (Kan.)
Marshall announced at the Kansas State Fair on Sept. 7, 2019, that he was running for the Senate.
Mark Meadows (N.C.)
Meadows announced on Dec. 19, 2019, that he would retire from Congress at the end of his term.
“For everything there is a season. After prayerful consideration and discussion with family, today I’m announcing that my time serving Western North Carolina in Congress will come to a close at the end of this term,” Meadows said in a statement. “This was a decision I struggled with greatly.”
Paul Mitchell (Mich.)
Mitchell made a speech on the House floor, July 24, 2019, informing his colleagues he would not seek reelection.
“A career in Washington has never been my objective,” Mitchell said. “My objective has always been simply to work to address significant challenges this nation faces: health care, immigration and infrastructure for example.”
Pete Olson (Texas)
In a press release on July 25, 2019, Olson declared that he was retiring at the end of this term.
“Protecting our future and preserving our exceptional nation are the reasons I first ran for Congress,” Olson 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.”
Martha Roby (Ala.)
Roby released a statement on July 26, 2019, announcing she will not seek reelection.
“While my name will not be on the ballot in 2020, I remain committed to continuing the fight for Alabama and the people I represent until I cast my last vote on the floor of the United States House of Representatives,” Roby said.
Phil Roe (Tenn.)
Roe announced on Jan. 3, 2020, that he would retire at the end of his term.
‘”After prayerful consideration, I have decided to retire at the end of the 116th Congress,” Roe said in a statement.
Francis Rooney (Fla.)
Rooney, who had refused to rule out impeaching President Trump, announced Oct. 19, 2019, that he would not seek reelection. The Florida Republican told Fox News that he came to Congress to secure money for Everglades projects and for an offshore drilling ban to protect Florida.
“I thought it might take three terms, but I think I’ve done it in less than two, we’ve gotten over 10 times as much money per year for the Everglades,” he said.
Jim Sensenbrenner (Wis.)
In an interview with Wisconsin radio host Mark Belling, Sept. 4, 2019, Sensenbrenner said that he would not seek reelection.
“When I began my public service in 1968, I said I would know when it was time to step back. After careful consideration, I have determined at the completion of this term, my 21st term in Congress, it will be that time,” Sensenbrenner said in a statement.
John Shimkus (Ill.)
Shimkus released a statement on Aug. 30, 2019, announcing he would not seek reelection.
“As Illinois candidates begin to circulate petitions next week, now is the time for me to announce that I will not be seeking re-election. … Serving in Congress has been a blessing, but it has also been a sacrifice for my wife Karen, and our boys,” Shimkus said in the statement.
Mac Thornberry (Texas)
Thornberry released a statement on Sept. 30, 2019, announcing he would not seek reelection.
“It has been a great honor to serve the people of the 13th District of Texas as their congressman for the last 25 years. They have given me opportunities to serve the nation in ways I could have never imagined, including as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee,” he said. “We are reminded, however, that ‘for everything there is a season,’ and I believe that the time has come for a change. Therefore, this is my last term in the U.S. House of Representatives.”
Greg Walden (Ore.)
“I will not seek re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, nor election to any other office, but instead I will close the public service chapter of my life,” Walden said in an Oct. 28, 2019, statement.
Mark Walker (N.C.)
The North Carolina Republican announced in December 2019 that he would not seek reelection after his district was redrawn in favor of Democrats. He said he would hold out for a potential 2022 Senate bid.
Walker served as chairman of the Republican Study Committee during the 115th Congress and rose to become a member of GOP leadership during the 116th Congress, serving as vice chairman of the House Republican Conference.
Rob Woodall (Ga.)
Woodall said he will not seek reelection in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Feb. 7, 2019.
“Doing what you love requires things of you, and having had that family transition made me start to think about those things that I have invested less in because I’ve been investing more here,” Woodall said in the interview.
Ted Yoho (Fla.)
“I believed when I ran on term limits. I ran on a pledge to serve four terms — eight years and come home,” Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) said on Dec. 10. “Many told me I was naive and they’re probably right. I was told the district has changed three times and so the pledge isn’t binding and I could rationalize that. However, I truly believe a person’s word is their bond and should live up to their word.”
REPUBLICANS LEAVING BEFORE END OF TERM:
Chris Collins (N.Y.)
Collins submitted his letter of resignation to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sept. 30, 2019, before pleading guilty to insider trading. Collins was previously arrested and indicted in August 2018 on insider trading charges.
Sean Duffy (Wis.)
Duffy left Congress in September 2019.
“After eight and a half years, the time has come for me to focus more on the reason we fight these battles — family,” Duffy said in a Facebook post. Duffy — who was first elected to represent Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District during the Tea Party wave in 2010 — said he will leave his seat after finding out his ninth child has a heart condition.
Duncan Hunter (Calif.)
The California Republican resigned in January 2020 after pleading guilty to charges of campaign finance violations late last year.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS (9)
Susan Davis (Calif.)
In a letter to her constituents Sept. 4, 2019, Davis wrote that she will not seek reelection
“My decision today represents a desire to live and work ‘at home’ in San Diego,” she said in the letter. “I will continue to give my all for the next sixteen months and will work as earnestly and as enthusiastically as I have always tried to do.”
Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii)
Gabbard announced in a series of tweets on Oct. 25, 2019, that she was not seeking reelection to focus on her 2020 Presidential bid.
“I’m fully committed to my offer to serve you, the people of Hawaii and America as your President and Commander-in-Chief. So I will not be seeking reelection to Congress in 2020. I humbly ask for your support for your support for my candidacy for President of the United States,” Gabbard tweeted.
Denny Heck (Wash.)
“Today, I announce my retirement from a career in public service that began over forty years ago,” House Intelligence Committee member Denny Heck (D-Wash.) tweeted on Dec. 4, 2019, with a link to a Medium post explaining his decision to retire.
His retirement follows the conclusion of Intelligence Committee hearings regarding possible impeachable offenses committed by President Trump.
Joe Kennedy III (Mass.)
Kennedy, the grandson of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, announced in September 2019 that he would launch a Senate primary challenge to Sen. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) in 2020.
David Loebsack (Iowa)
Loebsack released a statement on April 12, 2019, that he would not seek reelection.
“When first elected, I had planned to serve no more than 12 years. However, after Donald Trump assumed the presidency, it became apparent that I needed to run for at least one more term in the hopes that I could provide a check on his worst impulses,” Loebsack said in the statement.
Nita Lowey (New York)
Lowey, who became the first chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, announced Oct. 10, 2019, she will retire at the end of this Congress.
“After 31 years in the United States Congress, representing the people of Westchester, Rockland, Queens and the Bronx, I have decided not to seek re-election in 2020,” she said in a statement.
Ben Ray Luján (N.M.)
Luján tweeted on April 1, 2019, that he is running for Senate in New Mexico in 2020.
José Serrano (N.Y.)
Serrano announced on March 25, 2019, that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and will not seek reelection.
“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 said.
Pete Visclosky (Ind.)
Visclosky, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee who has served in the House since 1985, announced in November 2019 that he will not seek reelection after his current term.
DEMOCRATS LEAVING BEFORE END OF TERM:
Katie Hill (Calif.)
“It is with a broken heart that today I announce my resignation from Congress,” Hill said in an Oct. 27, 2019, statement. “This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I believe it is the best thing for my constituents, my community, and our country.”
SENATE REPUBLICANS (4)
Lamar Alexander (Tenn.)
Alexander announced on Dec. 17, 2018, that he would not run for reelection in 2020.
“I will not be a candidate for re-election to the United States Senate in 2020. The people of Tennessee have been very generous, electing me to serve more combined years as Governor and Senator than anyone else from our state,” Alexander said.
Mike Enzi (Wyo.)
Enzi announced his retirement on May 4, 2019.
“I want to be able to focus on budget reform to get control of our national debt,” he said in a statement. “I don’t want to be burdened with the distractions of a campaign. After this term I will find other ways to serve.”
Johnny Isakson (Ga.)
Isakson announced Aug. 28, 2019, that he will step down from the Senate at the end of the year, citing health issues.
“After much prayer and consultation with my family and my doctors, I have made the very tough decision to leave the U.S. Senate at the end of this year. I have informed Georgia Governor Brian Kemp today that I will resign my Senate seat effective December 31, 2019,” Isakson said in a statement.
Pat Roberts (Kan.)
Roberts said on Jan. 4, 2019, that he would not seek reelection.
“I am announcing I will serve the remainder of this term as your senator, fighting for Kansas in these troubled times,” he said. “However, I will not be a candidate in 2020 for a fifth Senate term.”
SENATE DEMOCRATS (1)
Tom Udall (N.M.)
Udall announced on March 25, 2019, that he will not seek reelection in 2020.
“I’m confident that we could run a strong campaign next year to earn a third term, because of all the work you and I have done together, along with my wife, Jill, and my incredibly dedicated staff,” Udall said in a statement. “But the worst thing anyone in public office can do is believe the office belongs to them, rather than to the people they represent. That’s why I’m announcing today that I won’t be seeking re-election next year.”