Who’s Not Running in 2026? 47 Members of Congress Exit or Seek Other Offices

With the 2026 midterm season approaching, 47 members of Congress have announced they will not run to keep their current seats: 20 Democrats and 27 Republicans. Of those, 20 are retiring from public office while 27 are leaving their current posts to pursue other offices.

Notable retirements

Last week Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) confirmed she will not seek another term, ending a four-decade career that included becoming the first woman to serve as House speaker. At 85, Pelosi is the oldest member of Congress to announce retirement ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Other longtime House Democrats over 70 who are stepping down include Reps. Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) — who had pledged to retire if Texas advanced its new maps — and Dwight Evans (D-Pa.). The youngest departing House member is Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine).

Six additional House members leaving Congress are Reps. Morgan Luttrell (R-Texas), Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) and Troy Nehls (R-Texas).

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) announced in November that she will resign in January following a public dispute with former President Donald Trump, who withdrew his endorsement.

House members running for higher office

Of the 47 members not seeking reelection to their current seats, 24 are running for higher offices — more than 5% of the House. Nearly half of those, 11 representatives, have launched gubernatorial campaigns.

• Gubernatorial candidates: Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) — who launched a bid to unseat Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) — Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), David Schweikert (R-Ariz.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.), Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Ralph Norman (R-S.C.), John Rose (R-Tenn.), Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), John James (R-Mich.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.).
• Senate hopefuls: Reps. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa), Barry Moore (R-Ala.), Mike Collins (R-Ga.), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Angie Craig (D-Minn.), Andy Barr (R-Ky.) and Chris Pappas (D-N.H.).
• Other notable campaigns: Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) launched an August bid for Texas attorney general to replace Ken Paxton (R), who is running for the Senate.

Senate departures and gubernatorial bids

Among senators, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced in February that he will not seek reelection. The 83-year-old stepped down from GOP leadership in 2024 after a series of health issues. He will be joined in retirement by Republican Sens. Joni Ernst (Iowa) and Thom Tillis (N.C.).

Four Democratic senators are also stepping down: Dick Durbin (Ill.), Gary Peters (Mich.), Tina Smith (Minn.) and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.).

Three sitting senators have launched gubernatorial campaigns for 2026: Republicans Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Tommy Tuberville (Ala.), and Democrat Michael Bennet (Colo.). In each of those states the incumbent governors — Tennessee’s Bill Lee (R), Alabama’s Kay Ivey (R) and Colorado’s Jared Polis (D) — are term-limited.

What this means

The wave of departures and candidacies will reshape many competitive House and Senate districts and open new gubernatorial contests. With dozens of incumbents stepping aside or seeking higher office, both parties face a period of significant turnover as candidates and donors recalibrate ahead of 2026.

Updated Nov. 29 at 2:20 p.m. EST.