With the 2026 midterm elections approaching, a wave of departures and campaign launches from members of the U.S. House is already reshaping the political map. Some representatives are retiring, many are running for governor or Senate, and a few are leaving early — moves that matter especially because Republicans hold a very slim House majority. Open seats create pickup opportunities for both parties and could determine control of the chamber after the midterms.
Below is the latest list of House members who have publicly said they will not return, with the date they announced and their stated reason. Each entry includes a brief description of the member's background and the implications of their departure.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas
Date of announcement: Dec. 5, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Doggett, who has represented an Austin-based district for more than 30 years, said he will leave the House at the end of his term. He cited a U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding a new Texas map that merged two Austin-area districts. In 2024 he was one of the first Democrats to publicly urge President Joe Biden to step aside as the party’s nominee following a poor debate performance.
Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas
Date of announcement: Nov. 29, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Nehls said he will retire after three terms and endorsed his twin brother, Trever, as his successor. First elected in 2020 to a district southwest of Houston, Nehls has been a staunch Trump ally and was once tapped for a select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.
Date of announcement: Nov. 21, 2025 • Reason: Resigning (effective Jan. 2026)
Greene — who rose as a prominent Trump loyalist and later became a sharp critic — announced she will resign in January 2026 following a public falling-out with Trump over his positions on documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and disagreements on foreign policy and health care. She first won a heavily conservative northwest Georgia seat in 2020.
Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.
Date of announcement: Nov. 21, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Swalwell, a former presidential candidate and a House manager during Trump’s first impeachment, joined the crowded race to succeed term-limited California Gov. Gavin Newsom. His district east of San Francisco will see only minor boundary changes from a recent mid-cycle redistricting measure.
Rep. Nydia Velázquez, D-N.Y.
Date of announcement: Nov. 20, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Velázquez, the first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress, will step down after representing a northeast Brooklyn and western Queens district for many years. Known as a mentor to progressive lawmakers, she cited the need for generational change.
Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas
Date of announcement: Nov. 11, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Arrington, chair of the House Budget Committee and a fiscal hawk, announced his retirement soon after the 2025 general election despite having Trump’s endorsement for reelection. He helped shepherd major tax and spending legislation and represents a conservative West Texas district that includes Lubbock and Abilene.
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.
Date of announcement: Nov. 10, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
The first Black woman from New Jersey in the U.S. House, Watson Coleman said her sixth term will be her last. She has represented the district around Trenton and Princeton since 2014 and leaves a reliably Democratic seat.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.
Date of announcement: Nov. 7, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Stefanik formally launched a challenge to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. Elected at 30 in 2014, she rose to be the third-ranking House Republican and aligned more closely with Trump over time. Her earlier nomination for U.N. ambassador was withdrawn amid concerns tied to the narrow House GOP majority.
Rep. Jesús García, D-Ill.
Date of announcement: Nov. 6, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
García filed nominating petitions for the 2026 primary but confirmed at the close of filing that he would not seek a seventh term. Only his chief of staff had submitted paperwork by the deadline, a delay that led to a House reprimand. García cited health considerations for himself and his wife (who has multiple sclerosis) as reasons for not seeking reelection to the House.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Date of announcement: Nov. 6, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Pelosi, the first female House speaker, announced she will leave Congress after nearly 40 years. Representing San Francisco, she played major roles in landmark legislation such as the Affordable Care Act and in leading Democrats through multiple administrations and two impeachments of Donald Trump. She also publicly urged President Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race.
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine
Date of announcement: Nov. 5, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Golden, who won several narrow races since 2018, cited incivility in Washington and threats against his family as reasons for stepping down. He has been one of the more moderate House Democrats, occasionally breaking with his party on high-profile votes.
Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa
Date of announcement: Oct. 28, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Feenstra entered Iowa's gubernatorial race after surprise announcements that Gov. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Joni Ernst would not run in 2026. Representing northwest Iowa since 2021, Feenstra drew significant fundraising ahead of his campaign launch.
Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass.
Date of announcement: Oct. 15, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Moulton announced a primary challenge to Sen. Ed Markey, citing a desire for generational change. He represents southeastern Massachusetts and has faced limited opposition in his heavily Democratic district.
Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas
Date of announcement: Oct. 6, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Hunt entered the GOP primary against Sen. John Cornyn, drawing concern from Senate Republican leaders about a costly intraparty contest. An early and frequent Trump surrogate, Hunt campaigned extensively for Trump in 2024.
Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz.
Date of announcement: Sept. 30, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Schweikert cited Congressional dysfunction as a motivation for seeking Arizona’s governorship. First elected in 2010, he has held a competitive suburban Phoenix seat and faces a tough general-election environment in 2026.
Rep. Thomas Tiffany, R-Wis.
Date of announcement: Sept. 23, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Tiffany joined a competitive Wisconsin gubernatorial field after three terms in the House. His district in the state's rural north reliably supports Republicans.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas
Date of announcement: Sept. 14, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
McCaul, a former anti-terrorism prosecutor and past chair of key national security committees, warned about Russian aggression when announcing his retirement. First elected in 2004, he represents a district stretching from Houston to Austin.
Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas
Date of announcement: Sept. 11, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Luttrell said he will step down after his second term to spend more time in Texas, citing recent deadly Central Texas flooding as a moment of clarity. His district will see slight redistricting changes but remains safely Republican.
Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa
Date of announcement: Sept. 3, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Hinson launched a campaign to replace Sen. Joni Ernst, declaring she intends to be a top Trump ally in the Senate. She flipped her northeastern Iowa seat in 2020 and fortified her margins in subsequent elections.
Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y.
Date of announcement: Sept. 1, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Nadler, the long-serving dean of New York’s House delegation, said he will retire after more than two decades in Congress, citing generational change. He chaired the House Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2023.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas
Date of announcement: Aug. 21, 2025 • Reason: Running for Texas Attorney General
Roy, a four-term representative and prominent House Freedom Caucus member known for challenging party leadership, announced a bid to succeed Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Rep. Barry Moore, R-Ala.
Date of announcement: Aug. 12, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Moore joined other Freedom Caucus members seeking higher office, launching a campaign to replace Sen. Tommy Tuberville and emphasizing his support for Trump's agenda.
Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C.
Date of announcement: Aug. 4, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Mace, who represents South Carolina’s 1st District, entered the gubernatorial contest after redistricting made her House seat more Republican-friendly. She has a mixed relationship with Trump but generally backed him after initial disagreements following Jan. 6.
Rep. Danny Davis, D-Ill.
Date of announcement: July 31, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Davis, a 15-term Illinois representative, announced he will not seek reelection. He represents a solidly Democratic Chicago district and had faced concerns about age and closer primary contests in recent cycles.
Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga.
Date of announcement: July 28, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Collins joined Georgia Republicans aiming to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff. He leaves a two-term House career representing a district east of Atlanta.
Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C.
Date of announcement: July 25, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Norman entered the crowded GOP primary to succeed term-limited Gov. Henry McMaster. A conservative Freedom Caucus member, he has had a complicated relationship with Trump after endorsing Nikki Haley in 2024.
Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa.
Date of announcement: June 30, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Evans said he will vacate his Philadelphia-centered district after serving in Congress since 2016 and decades in the state legislature. His district reliably votes Democratic.
Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.
Date of announcement: June 30, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Johnson, South Dakota's at-large representative, announced a gubernatorial run after eight years in the House. He has sometimes split with other Republicans on high-profile votes.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb.
Date of announcement: June 30, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Bacon, representing a district that has trended Democratic, said he will leave Congress. He emphasized his bipartisan approach and believes Republicans have a chance to hold the seat.
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga.
Date of announcement: May 8, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Carter joined other Georgia Republicans seeking Sen. Jon Ossoff’s seat. First elected in 2014, he has generally won by comfortable margins and is seeking Trump’s endorsement.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.
Date of announcement: May 7, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Krishnamoorthi is among Democrats vying to succeed retiring Sen. Dick Durbin. His Chicago-area seat is safely Democratic.
Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill.
Date of announcement: May 6, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Kelly left her House seat to run for Durbin’s Senate seat. She has been easily reelected in a heavily Democratic district since her 2013 special-election win.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill.
Date of announcement: May 5, 2025 • Reason: Retiring
Schakowsky, first elected in 1998, announced her retirement from a solidly Democratic Chicago-area district.
Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minn.
Date of announcement: April 29, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Craig, who flipped her suburban-to-rural district south of Minneapolis in 2018, launched a Senate campaign after consolidating strong margins in recent House races.
Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich.
Date of announcement: April 22, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Stevens announced a Senate bid after building a solid record representing parts of Oakland County; her seat has become reliably Democratic since redistricting.
Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky.
Date of announcement: April 22, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Barr entered the crowded primary to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell. His decision to leave the House presents a potential pickup opportunity for Democrats in a district Republicans consider favorable after redistricting.
Rep. John James, R-Mich.
Date of announcement: April 7, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
James declared a gubernatorial bid months into his second House term, leaving a competitive 10th District that Democrats have targeted since he flipped it in 2022.
Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H.
Date of announcement: April 3, 2025 • Reason: Running for Senate
Pappas launched a campaign to replace retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. He made history as New Hampshire’s first openly gay member of Congress when elected in 2018.
Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn.
Date of announcement: March 20, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Rose, a businessman and former state agriculture commissioner, entered Tennessee’s GOP gubernatorial primary and is seeking Trump’s backing.
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.
Date of announcement: Feb. 25, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Donalds, a frequent Trump surrogate and member of the conservative Tea Party-aligned caucus, launched his Florida gubernatorial campaign with the former president’s immediate backing.
Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.
Date of announcement: Jan. 22, 2025 • Reason: Running for Governor
Biggs, a leading conservative voice and former Freedom Caucus chair, announced a bid for Arizona governor. His deep-red district is likely to remain in GOP hands despite his departure.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J.
Date of announcement: Nov. 28, 2024 • Reason: Running for Governor (Resigned Nov. 21, 2025)
Sherrill launched a successful gubernatorial campaign less than a month after her 2024 reelection. She resigned her House seat on Nov. 21, 2025; a special election has been set for early 2026.
Note: This list reflects public announcements through December 5, 2025. Special elections, further resignations, or late filings could change the roster of open seats before the 2026 cycle.
